When You Look Me In The Eyes
by blueicequeen
Summary: Tsunade was forced to marry Naruto and Kakashi once the war was over since Naruto was getting too much unwanted attention. Unfortunately, neither had even entertained the idea of the other as a romantic choice. Marriage life was unexpected and before they knew it, they could not imagine a life without each other. Is this love? -Warning: Yaoi-


**Pairing :** Kakashi x Naruto

**Warning :** YAOI! Male x Male relationship. Sex scenes. Nudity. Slight language.

**Disclaimer :** I do not own Naruto or any of the other characters.

**Note :**

I hope you guys enjoy this one shot. It's a long one and an idea I can't get rid of. I just love Kakashi x Naruto pairings and I don't think there are enough of them out there. I am supposed to be working on **'Right Before Your Eyes', 'Chained' **and** 'Flames of Passion'**, but this idea would not leave me alone. I will get back to those three. Hope I did not disappoint with care and have a good reading!

**PS:** Pls note that this YAOI! MalexMale sex and loving. There are sex scenes here. You have been warned. Read at your own risk!

If you do not like Yaoi or sex scenes, do not read. It is as simple as that. Anyone who complaints apparently decided to bypass the warning signs and as such that would not be my fault.

**When You Look Me in the Eyes**

The Godaime Hokage of Konoha sighed heavily as she looked at her village. The Fourth Shinobi War had finally ended six months ago with a high number of casualties. All five of the largest nations in the Elemental Continents suffered major loses in terms of life and property. As they had all come together to fight Uchiha Madara and Tobi, they had agreed on a five-year truce where no nation will attempt to invade other nations and all five were responsible in helping smaller villages to recuperate.

Senju Tsunade could admit to herself that she had not seen such devastation in all of her years alive. The previous wars had been tough but not till the point of complete annihilation of villages. Families had been broken up and there were so many orphans to take care off. Her own shinobi forces were so painfully depleted and many bodies were never recovered.

She eyed the land that had been her village from one of the first built buildings in Konoha, the Hokage Tower. Her sharp eyes caught the sight of sunshine locks and she found herself smiling softly at the sight of her most favourite person, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto.

The blonde hero of the Elemental Continent had created a dizzying amount of shadow clones and each clone helped in the rebuilding efforts. From her current position, Tsunade did not know who the real Naruto was but she knew he was out there helping to bring Konoha back up.

It was quite amazing how much of progress had been made within the month. After the recovery time the shinobi took, most of them headed back out to get back to their posts. Scouting teams were sent out, retrieval teams were assigned and the rest of the forces spend every waking hour rebuilding Konoha from scratch. The Hokage Tower was built first. The shinobi had agreed wholeheartedly that seeing the familiar monument will raise the hope of the people and Tsunade could not find it in herself to refuse. Temporary shelters were also raised to ensure the civilians had somewhere to stay. While able-bodied civilians helped with the reconstruction of the village, others contributed by preparing mass meals and taking care of the less able.

Naruto had, as always contributed the most. His clones were always so cheerful that they helped to raise the morale of the people. Children seek out his presence and the adults looked so much calmer with him around. However, even Tsunade could tell that Naruto affected his peers the most. Every single member of Rookie 9 and Team Gai had fought alongside Naruto and now stood by his side in Konoha. Tsunade was very glad that none of them lost their lives during the war as it would have broken Naruto's heart to lose any of his friends.

She sighed heavily once more at the thought of Naruto. When the war ended, every land was busy trying to recuperate from the war. However, now that things have settled down somewhat, the spotlight was on her loved one. The council had been bringing up Naruto's name more often now. With the loss of the three elders, the council was far more manageable. However, Tsunade did not trust them with Naruto's well being. She knew Naruto was one of the hottest commodities on the market right now. Daimyos' daughters were being offered for marriage and the kages from the four nations had also asked around in getting a political alliance through marriage to Naruto. While the council, the civilian half anyways, were so excited about such prospects, Tsunade was not. She was terrified that the council would end up using her little brother to meet their own selfish ends.

Which brought her back to the issue at hand. On her desk lay quite a number of marriage proposals and she had to figure out how to answer them. None of them seemed even the least bit sincere. She frowned as she realized how most of them wanted a piece of the war hero.

Tsunade had an idea playing in her head for quite some time since this issue was brought up. She had finally spoken to Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku about her plan of action and although reluctant, both had lent their support and helped her refine her idea. Both men were also standing by her desk, watching their kage with well hidden amusement.

Three sharp knocks alerted the trio of their awaited guest. Tsunade called them in and her assistant, Shizune walked in with Hatake Kakashi. The jounin gave an aura of pure laziness but his one single exposed eye took in the audience and knew he was about to hear a news he did not like.

"Kakashi, so nice of you to join us," Tsunade growled in annoyance, which only increased at Kakashi's eye-smile. She resisted the urge to bash his head in as she needed his cooperation at the moment. It was a good thing he decided to come through the door instead of the windows as he usually did.

"Tsunade-sama, Shikaku-san, Inoichi-san," Kakashi greeted in turn as he resisted the urge to whip out his brand new Icha Icha book that only hit the stores last week. It was definitely one of Jiraiya's best works to date, easily beating the other books in the series. Kakashi could feel his copy of Icha Icha Vacation simply begging to be read all over again. He had truly not expected another Icha Icha book out with Jiraiya's passing. His editor must have waited for the war to end before publishing the book.

"Kakashi, this is very important and I want you to listen carefully before you say anything, alright?" Tsunade said as she glared at her subordinate. The silver-haired nin understood the seriousness of the situation and stood straighter.

"It is common knowledge that you, Gai, Killer Bee and Naruto pretty much dominated the front lines and saved our world. It is also a very common knowledge that Naruto was responsible of finally killing Madara and defeating the tail beasts. As such, you can imagine just how popular Naruto is right now," Tsunade started and waited until she saw Kakashi nod before continuing.

"As Naruto is very famous right now, many people are trying to get a piece of him. Unlike you, Gai and Killer Bee, Naruto does not have any name to protect him. Once I announce his heritage as the Yondaime and Bloody Habanero's son, his value will skyrocket. You can just imagine the number of people who would like the chance to leash him. That includes Konoha's council as well. Do you see where I am going with this, Kakashi?"

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. He should have expected this reaction. After all, sensei's son had managed to exceed all expectations and emerge victorious. Marriage proposals were not suppose to be so shocking but it was. Kakashi just could not see his student as a young man and the idea of him getting married just did not sit well with the genius.

"Political marriages, Tsunade-sama? Naruto does not deserve that. He is way too young to even think of marriages."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at that but did not comment on it. Instead, she drew the copy nin back to the reason she called him to her office at the first place.

"Look Kakashi, I am not going to beat around the bush. I want you to think of taking Naruto into your protection."

The silence that followed the Godaime's request was very telling. The older two men had simply remained quiet, leaving their leader to cue Kakashi in. However, they were very interested in his response as well.

Kakashi had simply frozen when he heard his Hokage's request. He knew she could have so easily ordered him to marry Naruto as a mission but here, she had requested it instead. The tall man sighed and looked up at the three older shinobi thoughtfully.

"Will you please explain to me why I became your choice of husband? I am sure if it comes to protection, the other clans will be far more beneficial. In fact, considering my age and position as his teacher, Konoha 11's members are all far more compatible with Naruto. Why me?"

For the first time since he entered the Hokage's office, Shikaku opened his mouth. "The reason is actually pretty simple. Among the girls, the only ones with power backing their names would be Inoichi's daughter, Ino and Hiashi's daughter, Hinata. Among the boys, it would be my son, Shikamaru, Chouza's son, Chouji, and Shibi's son , Shino. Hyuuga Neji is a branch Hyuuga and Inuzuka Kiba is the second child of Tsume. Those among the Konoha 11 who are eligible either have their eyes on someone or are spoken for. I know for a fact that Chouji and Ino are seeing each other. Shikamaru has been going out with Sabaku no Temari. Shino is already engaged and Hinata is a Hyuuga. Naruto marrying her will cause other clans to be very unhappy with the power play and it will leave him vulnerable to the Hyuuga elders who will no doubt try to control him. Among the elite shinobi of Konoha, you are the only one who is eligible. You care about Naruto, you were his teacher and you two have fought by each other for years. Your position as his ex-teacher gives you more right to him as you know him best. Your age is of no issue. Despite the age gap, there have been marriages with wider age gaps. No one will question the marriage. It will also be rather solid a deal with other nations. Everyone has heard of Sharingan no Kakashi, the White Fang's son, after all."

The silver-haired jounin forced himself to not flinch. He knew that they were right but he had no desire to shackle himself with someone. There was a reason he never got married after all. After all the people he had lost and the number of mistakes he had made in his life, he did not think he could be trusted with another life in his hands. Yet the Hokage wanted to trust Naruto to him?

"Hokage-sama, to be honest, I am not happy with this arrangement. However, I know that you could have easily made this an order and I would have had to comply. I also know Naruto and I do believe he deserves the best. As such, if he is agreeable, I am willing to marry him and care for him until he finds someone he loves."

The blonde haired leader looked at her shinobi with an expression he did not understand at all. She simply tilted her head and studied him carefully.

"You are willing to let him go if he found someone else?"

Kakashi nodded without a hint of hesitation. He was sure that Naruto would be able to find someone he loved sooner or later. He did want his blonde student to be happy.

"Very well then, Hatake Kakashi, jounin of Konoha. As someone who loves Naruto very much, I am grateful for your agreement. I will talk to Naruto soon and get him to agree with the idea. We will have to move fast though and marry the two of you. Thank you once again, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded at her sharply before nodding at both his seniors and excusing himself. He could not believe what had happened in the office. In a blink of an eye, his life had changed once more. Kakashi shook his head. He really needed a drink after that meeting.

He had a feeling that the news of his impending marriage to Naruto had not really hit him yet.

Behind the closed doors of the Hokage's office, Tsunade smirked. She was truly amused with the copy ninja who just walked out of her door. Before her, Shikaku and Inoichi were also highly amused.

"Too young to marry? Willing to let him go? Exactly who is Hatake trying to deceive?" Tsunade snorted as she thought of the shinobi's words.

"I have no idea, Tsunade-sama but I have a feeling that Kakashi really does believe he can let go of Naruto when the time comes," Inoichi added his thoughts. "I always thought wolves were very territorial with theirs."

"They are," Tsunade replied. "Kakashi is deluding himself. Once he marries Naruto, he will always see Naruto as his. While I am not happy with this situation either, it is the lesser of two evils. Now all I have to do is convince Naruto and that brat is not going to make things easy."

Her two advisors nodded knowingly.

Tsunade's words came true a few hours later where a pale and shaking jinchuriki stood before her. She had explained why she had chosen Kakashi and marriage as an option but she had a feeling the blonde child was very much overwhelmed. Naruto was tugging on his jumpsuit restlessly and pacing the floor of her office. Shikaku and Inoichi had left her to deal with Naruto privately and she was glad of that.

"Look Naruto, I know that this is too much to swallow but it is really important. I cannot marry you to an unknown for that will be a slight to the kages and daimyos. I cannot marry you into a clan in Konoha for that will show a power play, which we do not need in the current climate. I know you are not involved with anyone right now. Neither is Kakashi. Besides, you know the man. He is willing to marry you for protection. It will be a marriage on paper unless the two of you fall in love, which is good. Otherwise, it would just be like roommates. There won't be any pressure on you. No one will be expecting children so you won't have many eyes on you. It will give you more freedom of movement as well and as Kakashi's husband, you are untouchable. No one can force you do to anything."

Naruto shook his head stubbornly. His bright blue eyes looked into hers pleadingly, tears clinging to his eyelashes, giving him a wholly vulnerable look. Tsunade had to stop herself from hugging the boy tightly. She snickered as thought of Kakashi having to fight against that look.

"Please, baachan! There has to be something you can do," Naruto pleaded.

Tsunade tiredly shook her head. "I'm sorry, gaki but there is nothing I can do. Even if I made you Hokage, you will still be facing this problem. And that will be worse because a single action can be made a cause for war."

"But you are not forced to marry, Baachan! Why would I?" Naruto cried out, trying to find a loophole in his unusual situation.

"Because, gaki, I am much older than you. If you take the office, people will be showering you with proposals like this and it would be a diplomatic nightmare!" Tsunade yelled angrily.

Her heart softened though when she saw Naruto flinch and sighed tiredly. "Look, Naruto, this is my last resort. The only way I can think of to protect you. Kakashi has already agreed and the faster you agree to this, the faster I can handle this problem. Trust me, I am only thinking of your happiness. I love you very much, Naruto."

"Did dad face the same problem as well? How did he handle it?" Naruto asked desperately, hoping to take a leaf out of his father's book.

"Your dad did not have much trouble. Everyone knew he was seeing your mom although no one knew where they stood with one another. Your father had already told the council that he was seeing someone and as such was not open at all for any marriage proposals. The council had to back off, especially since Sarutobi-sensei back him up. Your situation is not the same, gaki."

The eighteen year old teen looked at his leader with defeated eyes. He knew there were no other ways. Besides, Tsunade had chosen a man Naruto was familiar with. At least he would not be married to a stranger. Naruto felt so painfully lost as the reality his situation hit him hard. This was truly the worst news he had received.

"I understand, baachan and I accept this marriage."

The Godaime Hokage of Konoha smiled tightly at him while she did the jig inside. "Well, let's take care of things then shall we? Shizune! Get Hatake here as well as Inoichi and Shikaku!"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

"What!? Now?"

Tsunade blinked at her pale shinobi. "When else, gaki?"

XXX

Kakashi glanced at his…well, he supposed that it was his husband, and watched as the younger man walked stiffly by his side, his face devoid of blood. A part of him was amused that Naruto, of all people, ended up in this situation. However, he felt a thread of sympathy for the child. His whole life had been one circle of hell to another. He was never given a choice from the day he was born. Even his career as a shinobi was not a choice of his but that of the Sandaime Hokage. Now, despite everything he had given to Konoha and the Elemental Continents, he was forced once more to live his life based on the decision of others. All Kakashi could offer now was a sanctuary for the younger man.

The silver haired jounin had suggested that they move Naruto's stuff to his apartment. He had purchased a rather spacious apartment at a less busy district. Most single shinobi had purchased apartments there and Kakashi had been very pleased with its location. It was secluded and away from the noisiness of Konoha's main district. However, it was not too far away that would make shopping a hassle. Besides, as shinobi, he had speed on his side.

Naruto, on the other hand, had been sharing been sleeping in the shinobi dorms. He had not decided on getting an apartment yet. As far as Kakashi was concerned, this was fortunate as they did not need to worry about leases and such. When he had casually mentioned this to the younger man, he had given him a strained smile and said nothing at all. While Kakashi wanted to assure his husband that he had nothing to worry about, walking on the streets was not the best place for the discussion. So the Copy-nin had kept quiet, continued reading his book and followed his husband to the shinobi dorms.

As far as Naruto was concerned, he was fortunate that the dorms were rather empty. After all, he did not want anyone to ask him why he was leaving so soon after his rather impromptu wedding. The blonde could not believe how quickly his life had changed once more. In just a matter of hours, he was married and now moving in with his sensei. His feelings were so confused and overwhelmed that he did not know how to sort them out at all.

He had checked out his meager belongings quickly, using Shadow Clones to speed up the process. Kakashi had not volunteered to help and Naruto was glad that the silver-haired jounin had not spoken to him just yet. He highly doubted he wanted to speak to his sensei at all right then. So Naruto worked in silence while Kakashi read his book, unaware of the quick, worried glances the silver-haired man kept giving him.

This time, Kakashi lead the way to his apartment…or he supposed that now, it was their apartment. It was a rather huge building with four apartments on one floor and had ten floors. Kakashi's apartment was on the seventh floor and it was the apartment that faced the forest surrounding Konoha. Naruto waited patiently as his teac…husband opened the door and ushered him in.

He stood at the doorway, feeling painfully self-conscious. Kakashi spared him a single glance and nodded at him to follow the older man. Naruto followed Kakashi without a word, his silence worrying the older man more than anything. They stood at the comfortably decorated living room and Kakashi began waving his hands around, gesturing to where everything was.

"Well, the apartment is pretty standard actually. The doorway to your right leads to the kitchen, help yourself at any time. The smallest bedroom is the one connected to the kitchen. It's the guest bedroom and comes with a small bathroom. The room beside that is a storage room. This bedroom is mine and the one beside it will be yours. Both rooms are connected by a full bathroom. That's all there is anyways. The rooms are all furnished so you can settle in without any problems. You are welcome to decorate the room to your satisfaction. This is your home now as well and I think it should be more than enough for both of us. Just pick up after yourself and we'll both be fine. Any questions?"

Kakashi watched as a myriad of emotions crossed the younger man's face before the he sighed and smiled tiredly at the older man.

"No, sensei. Everything is fine for now. Do you mind if I rest for awhile?" Naruto asked quietly, without looking at his teacher…husband.

"Go ahead," Kakashi waved casually, trying to appear relaxed to the younger man. "We both had quite a day after all. I would appreciate the rest as well."

The older man took in the slight flinch Naruto had not been able to hide and could only make an educated guess on the younger man's unease. He refrained from sighing as he watched the blonde slip into the bedroom prepared for him and entered his own. Once the door was fully closed, Kakashi collapsed on his bed.

There was only one word for his current situation and even the curse was not enough to show how messed up his life had become.

With that thought, Hatake Kakashi fell asleep.

In the room beside his, Naruto sat gingerly on his bed. He smiled warily at how comfortable it was. The room itself was actually not too bad. Kakashi had not put any personal touches in this room. It was comfortably spacious and had a lot of space. For Naruto, who had lived in a small one bedroom apartment for the younger years of his life and sleeping in tents in the later years, the current apartment was a luxury. Besides the bed, there was a spacious low table, a square carpet on which it was placed, a long low cupboard and a cupboard. The low cupboard was arranged so that it started from his bed and extended to the end of the room. The cupboard faced the bed.

This was his new home. Naruto only hoped that Kakashi did not hate him for intruding on the man's life. With a sigh, he began to slowly unpack.

Naruto always had plants around him, so he placed his potted plants around his room. He placed pictures of Team 7, Konoha 11, Team Kakashi, Tsunade and Jiraiya and Gaara beside his bed. He placed his clothes in the cupboard and arranged his scrolls and weapons in the low cupboard beside his bed. Once he was finally done, Naruto sat on the covered floor and thought seriously about his situation. There was a lot he needed to talk to Kakashi about. Looking outside, he took notice of the position of the sun and frowned. It was already very late. After the day he had, he was very hungry and Kakashi had told him to make himself at home.

Naruto washed his face and neck before slipping out to the kitchen. It was well furnished and there was a small dining room connected to it. However, the pantry was rather empty. Naruto could fine a bag of rice and a few eggplants. There were also some eggs but nothing else. Groaning, he decided to make a brief stop at the market to get some stuff to cook for the next few meals.

The blonde haired shinobi smiled and waved at those who greeted him and quickly made his purchases. At that moment, he really did not want to meet any of his friends until he was settled and talked to Kakashi. So he was not very picky as he bought some basic groceries for a few meals and rushed back home. Kakashi was still asleep as Naruto begin to cook. From previous experience, Naruto knew Kakashi did not really like sweet stuff and loved miso soup with eggplants. So Naruto prepared two bowls of the soup and a dish of yakitori chicken with rice. It was simple yet filling. Once he had prepared dinner, he decided to take a quick shower and wait to see if Kakashi would like to join him.

Naruto had just finished his shower when he heard Kakashi moving about in his room. The older shinobi the used the bathroom as Naruto dressed in his room. When he walked out, Kakashi too walked out of his room. The rest seemed to have done him good as he eye-smiled Naruto.

"Had a good rest, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes. I did. What about you?" Kakashi asked as he glanced at the younger man before frowning at the kitchen.

Naruto grinned as he saw what had stolen Kakashi's attention. "I just finished my bath after cooking dinner, sensei. Would you like to join me? I did prepare for two after all."

Despite how casually Naruto threw the invitation, he was truly anxious that Kakashi would prefer to eat outside instead of dining with him. However, Kakashi simply eye-smiled once more before heading to the kitchen, his ex-student trailing behind him.

"That does not smell like ramen, Naruto," Kakashi teased playfully.

Naruto grinned back. "I do live alone, sensei and I travelled with Ero-sennin. I had to know how to cook."

Kakashi did not reply as he studied his meal for the night. He was pleased to see the bowl of miso soup. Although there wasn't any broiled saury, the yakitori did look very appetizing. He truly did wonder if Naruto's cooking was as good as it smelled.

It was better.

Kakashi could truly appreciate his ex-student's presence in his home. The food was very good and he was pleased that not once Naruto tried to sneak a look at his face. In fact the blonde had told Kakashi that he would not peak and that Kakashi could enjoy his meal without worrying. Kakashi had simply thanked him and the duo ate quietly.

It was the silence that aggravated Kakashi. Naruto was never known as someone who would be quiet. His silence spoke volumes. Kakashi knew that Naruto was very unhappy with the marriage but really, it was rather insulting that he was this unhappy with marrying him. On the other hand, Kakashi was really happy that Naruto was not throwing a tantrum either or giving him the silent treatment. The blonde spoke when needed and he did prepare dinner as well. However, they definitely needed to talk about the situation they were currently in.

Once dinner was over, Kakashi told Naruto that they needed to talk. The blonde simply nodded and made a shadow clone to clean up after them. Kakashi did not say anything at the casual use of shadow clones. He had watched Naruto make them by the hundreds after all. He could still appreciate the skill behind the jutsu though especially since Naruto did it soundlessly and without any hand seals. That was skill.

They settled in the living room comfortably. For once, Kakashi did not whip out any of his books despite itching to read the latest copy. This was a rather serious discussion and as one of the fellow front line fighters who stood beside the courageous man before him, he felt that Naruto definitely deserved his undivided attention.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?"

Hearing the concern in his voice, Naruto smiled softly. "I'm not sure. I am a complete mess right now, I guess. A little overwhelmed with everything but I'm sure I'll be fine after a goodnight's rest, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and made sure his whole countenance screamed relax. He did not want to frighten Naruto, after all.

"You know…I really do not think you should call me 'sensei' anymore. Besides, I have not been your sensei since the Chunnin exams. Jiraiya-sama took over the position of your sensei. I am your team leader though, so again 'sensei' does not count here, ne? 'Senpai' would also be rather weird."

Naruto blinked owlishly before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. As he lowered his hand, he looked questioningly at the man before him. "Ah….I guess so. What should I call you then?"

"Maa….Kakashi is just fine unless you want to be really traditional, you can call me 'anata', I guess," Kakashi replied with a careless wave causing Naruto to sputter.

"What! No way! Kakashi is fine. I am definitely not calling you…that!" Naruto yelled, crossing his arms in an X-shape before him, amusing the jounin immensely. Kakashi simply shrugged but Naruto read the amusement in his eye and pouted.

He lost his pout a second later and intense blue eyes caught the single gray eyes of Kakashi's. At that moment, Kakashi knew Naruto was going to broach the reason he was so uneasy.

"Ne, Kakashi-sen…Kakashi…I am so sorry for this mess you got pulled into. I had really not expected this to happen. I know you must have a reason for not settling down so far and for my situation to force you into this marriage is unforgivable. I…I am really grateful that you put your life on line for mine but this is really not fair to you. At this stage, I really have no idea what I can do to make it up to you. Tsunade-baachan mentioned that this will be on paper only and I understand if you want to bring others back here. I can easily leave for the night if you are uncomfortable with me being here. Otherwise, I really do not mind. I can do my share of the chores and cook meals for both of us. I am also really willing to pay for half the rental. I'll make sure I don't make too much of noise and stuff. I am really sorry about this," Naruto said keeping his eyes on the ground as he bowed to his former teacher.

Kakashi's eyes widen as they watched Naruto bow before him. He had not expected the younger man to apologize. At that moment, Kakashi was very much aware of Naruto's eighteen years of age compared to his 33 years. He sighed heavily, noting the flinch the younger man failed to hide. He really needed to put an end to this now that they will be living together for as long as they were together.

"Naruto, straighten up and sit down, please."

Naruto blinked, confused but complied curiously. He watched as Kakashi ran a hand through his hair before settling both hands on his knees and kept his eye on him.

"I want you to listen carefully, alright? Now, yes, Hokage-sama did ask me to marry you but truly, that is not a hardship, Naruto. You have definitely grown up well. We fought together for almost six years now. Well, three years minus those years you went training. We are very compatible on the field. I trust you to watch my back. I also trust you to come back alive. I never wanted to marry because that would mean I had to be vulnerable to someone who had the potential to stab me in the back. Besides, I have many enemies and they will come after any family I make. However, the council would not look at that. They will remember that I am still at an age where marriage is not impossible and they will insist I marry once they are done with you. The point is, marrying you also helped me evade the council's attempts to marry me off. Do you understand, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, keeping his voice calm and relaxed as he watched his husband carefully. The blonde hesitated but nodded after a moment.

As he approached his second topic, Kakashi smirked behind his mask although Naruto could not see it. "Now concerning my sex life," Kakashi started, a little disappointed when Naruto did not even blush. Maybe Jiraiya had managed to make the man immune? Shaking his head, he decided to continue what he was saying. "Well, now that we are married, I will definitely not seek a bed partner from outside. Whatever our circumstances, Naruto, I do not believe in infidelity even if ours was a marriage of convenience. So you do not have to leave for a night any night. On the other hand, you are still very young. While I hope you do not have sex with others while we are married, if you find someone you love, I am willing to end this marriage so that you can marry them. However, if on occasion…you need a little release from…any frustrations, you are more than welcome to come to me. As your husband, it is my duty to make sure you are taken care of…in every way," Kakashi ended with a leer, causing Naruto to blush.

"SENSEI!"

"Now, now, Naru-chan….if you insist on calling me 'sensei' I have to insist on you playing the part of a student preferably wearing a really short skirt and a white top," Kakashi replied with a mischievous grin.

"What the hell!? And don't call me that!" Naruto immediately yelled as he crossed his hands before him in an X-shape once more.

"Really, what a pity….Naru-chan sounds so cute," Kakashi drawled as he leaned back on his chair. He watched his blonde spouse for awhile before shrugging. Naruto was taking everything quite well so far. He had calmed down a lot and was even relaxing in his seat.

"Now, the matter of housekeeping. As long as the house is neat and clean, I am fine with it. Don't worry about putting your personal touches outside your room. This is your home too. I will also be cleaning up after myself, so don't worry so much about it. Ah, when it comes to cooking…let's just say that I end up buying food more than cooking. If you are cooking, go ahead. If today's dinner is an example of your kitchen skills, I'll be more than happy to leave that your domain. And Naruto, this is your home as well. You may behave as you usually do. Do not worry about making any noise. As long as I am not ill, I don't really mind. Ah…rental. I actually got this apartment for free from Tsunade-sama. She gave one to Gai and was planning on giving you one as well when you finally chose a place to stay. So we do not have to worry about rental. Well I hope I answered all your questions. Do you have any more you want to ask?"

Kakashi would actually be very surprised if Naruto did not have anymore questions. Their situation was a rather curious one and he hoped that Naruto would relax enough that they would both be able to live relatively well.

Naruto did understand what Kakashi was saying. However, it seemed a little too simple. It seemed a little too easy. If there was something Uzumaki Naruto did not believe was simplicity.

"Kakashi, what about…us? It doesn't seem fair that I get a way to break from the marriage and you don't. What happens if I don't find anyone else either? Where does that leave us?" Naruto asked, his mind focused on the scroll he and Kakashi had signed hour ago.

Kakashi kept quiet. He knew what the younger man was asking and frankly, he had no clue. Many things can happen over time and he did not know the future.

"Look, Naruto, we cannot predict the future. Let's live in the here and now. When we get to that bridge, we can cross it. We are both new at this. Let us live first and worry about everything else later. Alright?"

Naruto sighed, a relieved smile on his face.

"Yeah, Kakashi. That's more than alright."

XXX

He had expected it to be hard. He had thought that he might get irritated with Naruto's presence in his home sooner or later. However, it looked like that day was far into the future.

The two of them had gotten their rhythm down. After years of waking up early to train, Naruto could not sleep past six in the morning. His internal alarm rang annoyingly at six and he would use the bathroom first. Kakashi too was used to waking up early. The jounin however would laze around in bed and kept an ear out for his husband. Once Naruto was done with the bathroom, he would go in to clean up. Meanwhile, Naruto usually prepared breakfast for two though he never ate his. Instead, the younger man would do some training for over an hour before cleaning up once more and having his breakfast. By then, Kakashi would already be out. They only met again later at night where Naruto had cooked dinner and ate their last meal of the day together. They would rarely talk but the companionable silence was comforting rather than suffocating.

Kakashi had a feeling that the silence was his biggest surprise when it came to his former student. He was used to the boy who wore loud colors and made sure to scream his opinions so that everyone knew about it. He should have known that in the privacy of his home, Naruto was different. It would be too much of a hassle to hold the same persona in private. It threw Kakashi off balance at first, but he came to realize that he really did prefer this part of Naruto as well. While Naruto overenthusiastic self was extremely annoying, it was also a very inspirational part of him. This quieter part of Naruto reminded Kakashi a little of his sensei. It was bittersweet.

Still having someone cook for him was a sweet experience. Naruto seemed to be rather natural at taking care of the house. It was…nice coming home to someone. It had been years since Kakashi came home to someone.

Kakashi was actually rather surprised that the news of their marriage had not reached their peers. He had thought that Tsunade, Inoichi or Shikaku might have spread the news but there was nothing on the grapevine. Kakashi was sure if there were any rumors at all Sakura and Ino would have cornered them already. He was also sure he would be expecting a visit from Gai. Amazingly, no one seemed to question Naruto's presence in his apartment although he was sure a number of jounin had seen the blonde haired boy. Either way, Kakashi welcomed the calm before the storm.

The memorial stone was strangely intact. Kakashi wondered how that one memorial remained untouched despite the severity of the war. He sat on the rock before the memorial stone and his eyes sought after the familiar names carved there. This time his eyes caught the names Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Kakashi could not help but wonder what his sensei and his wife would have said about him marrying their son.

"Can you believe it, sensei? Your son really does make a good wife. Sometimes he reminds me of you so much and other times he reminds me Kushina-san. Maa, I have a feeling you would have tried to strangle me for the position I find myself in, Minato-sensei," Kakashi said softly, a sardonic smile hide behind his mask.

"You really need to reduce the time you spend here, Kakashi," a familiar voice called from the back.

Kakashi simply eye-smiled and nodded at the blonde man standing behind him.

"Inoichi-san."

They stayed silent for awhile, a sense of peace washing over both of them. Kakashi remained silent, waiting for Inoichi to broach the subject.

"So how is married life treating you, Kakashi?"

Kakashi was tempted to tell the man to drop the topic but he resisted. If Inoichi was willing to broach this topic with him, it had to be important.

"We are both doing okay. We have managed."

Inoichi nodded. He was not a T&I specialist for nothing. He knew what Kakashi was not saying. Both the men are probably living like roommates. While that was alright, the three of them had hoped that the couple would at least be open to nurturing their relationship beyond that of comrades.

"Kakashi, I know this is not my place and you would prefer it if I left this alone. However, I would just like to say something and I'll not touch this topic again until you come to me yourself. All you have to do is listen. Can you allow me this much?"

The silver haired jounin clenched his teeth but he nodded either way. Inoichi was clearly stepping over his boundaries but if this would keep his away from Kakashi and Naruto's relationship, he was all for it.

"Life has been very unfair to both of you. Neither of you had a good childhood either. After all these years, fate has landed the two of you together. I know that you do not feel worthy of being Naruto-kun's spouse however I personally believe that you two would make an amazing couple. Maybe you can't see it right now because you are too focused on his age and his parentage. But trust me, Kakashi, Minato would be pleased to see you with his son especially considering all the other options. You two are made for each other.

You might think I am simply sprouting a long list of nonsense but humor me, alright? Watch Naruto when you guys are at home. Try to take notice of all the little things he does. See what pleases him and what doesn't. Sometimes, we don't know what we need even if it is right before us. We only notice when it's too late. Don't let that happen to you now that you have a chance for some happiness."

Inoichi laid a hand on the stiff shoulder of the jounin and patted him twice. He turned and left without saying another word.

Kakashi sat frozen before the stone. Did Yamanaka Inoichi just tell him to fall in love with his husband? The child was years younger than he was. He was not even alive the first half of Kakashi's life. There was no way he could look at Naruto without feeling like a cradle robber.

Ignoring the fact that there were marriages with an even larger age gap than theirs, Kakashi resolved to ignore Inoichi's words.

He definitely did not need any more complications. The past month and a half had been brilliant and he did not want to change the dynamics between him and Naruto. At least, they got along well enough. He was not about to risk that.

XXX

"Think it'll work?"

"He's stubborn. It won't be easy."

"This is ridiculous. They are not even giving each other a chance!"

"We'll simply have to watch for now. The power of suggestion is a powerful thing. If anything, it would make him more self-conscious of Naruto."

"Keep me updated, won't you? I'll make sure I keep the idiot in the village."

"Yes, Hokage-same!"

XXX

Naruto took a deep breath and exhaled softly. He had been working on the construction site on the west of the village and just returned home. Washing away the day's grime and dust made him feel refreshed. The water was mercifully cold, a pleasant contrast to the warm weather Hi no Kuni was currently facing.

The blonde youth slipped on a pair of shorts and decided to forgo any tops. Bare-chested, Naruto stretched as he walked to the kitchen. Humming softly, he bustled about, preparing a simple dinner for the two of them. Cooking had the same calming effect on him as his plants did. Naruto loved cooking ever since he learned how to cook from the various people who taught him. It was a good feeling, he thought fondly. He swayed his hips slightly to the beat he was humming as he steered the yakisoba dish. The poor blonde almost dropped his spoon in shock when he heard the unmistakable sound of Kakashi choking.

Kakashi wondered if the whole universe was conspiring against him. He could not believe his eyes when he saw tan skin displayed freely for all to see. Naruto was cooking half-naked in his kitchen while dancing to a tune he was humming. Kakashi promptly chocked and heard Naruto's startled yelp and looked up only to be caught by bewildered sky-blue orbs.

The two of them stared at each other without saying a word. Naruto finally tilted his head to the side and studied the man he married.

"Are you alright, Kakashi?"

Kakashi had enough mind to nod and gave his customary greeting. Naruto's smile to his greeting almost caused him to lose a step. Naruto watched him in confusion but said nothing. The blonde only welcomed him home and invited the jounin to join him in the kitchen.

"I'm making yakisoba tonight. It should be done soon. So clean up and help me set the table, will you?"

"Sure, Naruto."

Kakashi escaped to his room and resisted the urge to bang his head on the walls. He could not believe how immaturely he had acted before Naruto. He had seen the blonde in less before. There were no reasons for him to get startled.

'Except before you did not have the permission to touch,' a voice slyly whispered in his head. Kakashi cursed. He was sure that somehow, he could blame Inoichi for his hyperawareness. Really, nothing has changed.

Once he managed to convince himself of this, he washed up and walked back to the kitchen. He saw Naruto humming as he put the finishing touches to the meal. Kakashi silently set up the table and Naruto smiled at him as he served them both a generous portion of yakisoba.

"So how was your day?" Naruto asked as he blew softly on his noodles before he swallowed them. Kakashi found himself watching the younger man, his own meal left untouched. Naruto did not look up but he made a slight noise, jolting Kakashi from whatever he was thinking about. The silver haired nin grimaced before raising his own chopsticks to eat his dinner.

"Well, I had a list of people to meet. Otherwise, it was pretty boring…how was your day?"

"Construction work on the west. The village is coming up nicely."

"That's good."

Naruto found himself grinning at the silence that descended in the dining room. He had a feeling that something was bothering Kakashi but the nin was not in the mood to share. Naruto knew better than to push, so he remained silent as well. They finished their dinner in silence and Kakashi rose to clear the table as was his duty. Naruto ended up slipping on a wife-beater before retiring to the living room. He had decided to read a fuinjutsu scroll he received from the toads.

The sight of Naruto curled on the single armchair, reading a scroll burned in Kakashi's eyes. The copy nin used his latest Icha Icha book to give the impression that he was immersed in his book. Inoichi's words rang in his head and he found himself studying the man he married.

Naruto had changed so much from the midget he was as a child. His form was not as bulky as his jumpers would suggest. Amazingly, the blonde was quite slim and slender. He was also not very tall. Years of malnutrition had stunted his growth. However, with his slender form, it gave him a false impression of someone more fragile. The last war should have erased any thoughts of fragility from Kakashi's mind though. Long tanned legs curled on the armchair comfortably. Kakashi could still remember the well-defined chest and stomach of his husband and his eyes rose to take in the stubborn chin, lean cheeks and large blue eyes. Golden locks were much longer now. Without his hitai-ate, his hair fell into silky strands reaching his shoulders. It was not as spiky as it once was.

He was beautiful.

Kakashi almost choked once more when he processed the thought. He could not believe he just checked out his student.

'Former student, current husband,' his mind slyly supplied.

When Kakashi was first approached with this idea of marrying Naruto, he was quite surprised that Tsunade, of all people, was agreeable to this. He had thought she would be very displeased if he had a relationship with the young man she thought of as a son and brother. He still had no idea how the rest of his and Naruto's friends and peers are going to take the news. It would not be complete surprise. Many jounin sensei had gone to marry a member of their team after the genin had reached a suitable age. Even among clan members, the age gap between some marriages exceeds a 15 year age gap. So he knew that their marriage would not be opposed by the others.

The older nin knew it was not Naruto's fault that he was hesitant is claiming the younger man properly as his husband. Kakashi would be honored and blessed if Naruto would accept him for the rest of their lives. However, he could not forgive himself for how he treated the younger man when he was younger.

As Minato-sensei's only remaining student and former apprentice, it fell to him to take care of Naruto. However, due to the pressure of the council and his own devastation of losing the second father he had, Kakashi had lost himself in a whirlwind of missions. He had never had a childhood and all his life, all he had ever known was blood and death. The thought of caring for a child frightened him and Kakashi had forcefully forgotten the blonde baby. There were always things to do and Kakashi just kept doing them, one after another until Sandaime-sama put his feet down and forced him to slow down. He was then given missions of guarding Naruto.

The child had been like a breath of fresh air. Looking at the child, he saw a perfect combination of Minato-sensei and Kushina-san. Her bright personality mixed with his sensei's bright looks made the child seem like a light in the darkness. However, Kakashi never sought him out. He watched Naruto from far, aware of the loneliness and pain hidden in those azure orbs. He did what he could from far without getting caught. When Naruto started to live on his own, he would buy fresher groceries and exchange them with what the blonde was forced to buy. Many times, he stocked Naruto's supplies himself but the ANBU could not find the courage to approach his sensei's legacy. He did not know how to interact with children and the idea of not being able to be what Naruto needed forced him to stay in the shadows. Besides that, he did not want the council to know he was keeping an eye on Naruto and force him away. This way, he could still be with Naruto.

When he was assigned to Team 7, the council had made it clear that he was to focus in strengthening Sasuke and keep him in the village. He was also supposed to keep Naruto in line and report to the council if there were any signs of the child losing his hold on the fox. Kakashi had simply nodded. At that time, he did not want to tip his hands too much and risk being kept away from Naruto completely. However, Sandaime-sama had told Kakashi in confidence that he had a teacher for Naruto already. All Kakashi had to do, was train Naruto enough until his teacher was ready to take him on.

Naruto had made it easy for Kakashi to ignore him. As the child acted loudly and brashly, Kakashi could simply put it up to him being immature and leave it as that. However, even Kakashi could admit that between Naruto and Sasuke, his sensei's son had far more potential in him. He did not know how to reach out to the younger boy and had probably irritated and hurt him more than he had helped. More often than he realized, he kept trying to shield the boy from the harsher realities of being a shinobi. This time though, he did not need to hide his presence from Naruto and Kakashi truly was grateful for that. He had visited his student a number of times with some fresh groceries to encourage a healthier diet. Truly, his ramen addiction made Kakashi smile as he was reminded fondly of Minato-sensei and Kushina-san.

Even then Naruto had done well and apparently held no resentments to his teacher. Ever since he returned from his training trip, he and Naruto had always been together for one mission or another. His relationship with the blonde had become far better than even he had expected. Still, the fact that he had literally allowed Naruto to suffer as a child had left scars in him. It kept him from even considering a proper future for them both. He was actually quite surprised that Naruto had not asked him about their relationship in Team 7.

Studying the man curled up in the armchair, Kakashi had to admit that even he had not known all about Naruto despite watching him for years and being his teacher and team leader. He had not known about Naruto's silence, his skills in the kitchen and his housekeeping skills either. Either the child had mellowed after all the years and the wars or he had been wearing a metaphorical mask. Kakashi did not mind as much as he expected he would. It just made his living with Naruto all the more interesting.

Watching the younger man, he wondered if Naruto was interested in anyone. Naruto had not said anything but Kakashi did not want to be surprised down the road if Naruto liked anyone. He imagined the blonde spread wantonly on the bed, a figure towering above him.

Kakashi forced himself not to snarl at the image. Before him, Naruto looked up, sensing the distress from Kakashi. The nin forced himself to give his customary eye-smile before hiding behind his book.

Inwardly, he was mortified. Could he actually keep his promise of letting Naruto go if the blonde wanted him to?

XXX

Naruto was actually quite surprised how long it had taken for the news of his marriage to Kakashi to come out. He had expected his friends to come banging at his door within the day. However, they managed to keep it a secret for a few weeks. Now though, Naruto felt like squirming as the eyes of Konoha 11 and Sai glared accusingly at him.

"Well? Is it true, Naruto?" Sakura asked tightly, her eyes narrowed at her teammate.

Naruto wondered if there was a chance to get away from there as fast as he could. "What is true, Sakura-chan?" he tried to hedge away, forcing himself to look innocent.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as Choji simply nodded, munching on a bag of chips. To their right, Tenten, Lee and Neji watched on curiously. Beside Neji though, Hinata's face was pale as she waited for her crush to answer. Kiba, Akamaru and Shino simply stood by their teammate for support. Ino stood by Sakura while Sai stood near Naruto.

"Do not play innocent with us, Naruto-baka! Now, is it true you are married to Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, cracking her fingers. Naruto watched her fingers nervously as he thought of what to say.

"Well, answer me this first. Why are you asking if Kakashi and I are married? Even if it is simply a rumour, you must have heard it from someone," Naruto asked, wondering who would have leaked the news of the marriage now. Only five people, including him, know about the marriage and even the council was not yet informed. So for someone to find out, it was worrisome. He had no reason to suspect any of the five to say anything.

While Sakura and Ino pondered on whether they should say anything, Shikamaru wondered if he was the only one who caught Naruto's reference to Kakashi. It was as good as admitting that the marriage was real.

"Well, actually no one told us, Naruto. Sakura and I were supposed to pass some reports from the hospital to Tsunade-sama and we overhead her talking to my dad and Shikaku-san. Apparently, they were wondering how you and Kakashi-sensei were getting along now that you guys were married. We did not stay for long because we did not want them to find us there. So, is it true? Are you two married?" Ino asked, her eyes gleaming for new gossip material.

Naruto sighed in agitation. He wondered what he was supposed to say. He had not discussed this with Kakashi and now he was stuck. The young man finally decided to tell the truth but he looked at them sternly, his eyes already emphasizing how important this matter was. At once, all of the straightened their postures and waited for him.

"Yeah, Kakashi and I are married. Tsunade-baachan was the one who arranged it. We got married a few weeks ago and it was really a hush-hush matter. We didn't want anyone to know."

Eyes widened in implication. The silence that fell the group was rather unexpected. Naruto had expected someone to say something by now. His eyes fell on Hinata and he felt his heart constrict painfully. Without saying another word, he stood up and approached her. No one said anything and watched the two carefully.

"Hinata, can I talk to you for a moment?" Naruto asked politely, looking right into Hinata's lavender eyes. The Hyuuga heiress bit her lips and nodded hesitantly. Her heart was already broken, what could she lose? As much as she wanted to run away and cry in private, she knew she would follow Naruto no matter what he asked. Leaving the tense group behind them, they walked away to ensure their privacy.

A safe distance away, Naruto stopped and looked directly at the one woman who had professed her love for him. Although he had never answered her after Pein's invasion, he had already known that it would be impossible between them. However, he owed it to her to answer her confession no matter how late it was.

"Hinata-chan, I apologize for being unable to return your feelings," Naruto started and almost panicked as he saw tears slowly flowing from her eyes.

"It's…It's o..okay, Na…Naruto-kun. I…I understand," Hinata whispered, her throat tight with the rejection.

She had not expected Naruto to draw her into his arms and hug her tightly. While she would have fainted by now, Hinata found herself gripping him just as tightly, hot tears flowing more freely as she sobbed in his arms.

Naruto did nothing but hold the one woman who had always supported him silently. He counted himself blessed for being able to catch her eyes and find a place in her heart. She was truly a very sweet and gentle woman.

Once she calmed down a little, Naruto continued, needing to explain. "Hinata-chan, considering who you and I are, I knew we could never be together. I am blessed by the gods to have you by my side all these years, Hinata-chan but even the gods do not find me as worthy to bless you with me for the rest of our lives. I could not answer your confession during Pein's invasion because it was not the right time. With the war, I could not afford to think of anything else but to get stronger. Now, I am forced into a corner again. As much as I would love to try and see if we can have a future together, I am not the man for you, Hinata-chan. You deserve someone who would worship the ground you walk and love you without a single reservation. You deserve a man who will be able to stand by you when you change your clan, a man whose only focus should be you. I am not that man. Being with me, you will never have a moment of peace. I have so many people who have interest in me that I am afraid want to take advantage of me. You don't need that headache.

Even now, what I have not told the others is simply this. Kakashi and I married out of convenience. We both needed a spouse for different reasons. I needed someone to protect me and Kakashi did not want to be pushed into marriage either. The two of us really can't afford to fall for anyone else. Maybe in time I will be able to fall for Kakashi and vice versa. You do not deserve any of this. You have your own mission, Hinata-chan and you need to concentrate on that."

Hinata looked up, her eyes still glossy. "Naruto-kun…"

Naruto's eyes softened. "Hinata-chan, you are the only one who can break the gap between the Main and Branch house of your clan. You are the heiress. I will always support you, Hinata-hime. I believe you will definitely be able to do this."

She smiled softly, her heart still aching. Naruto's tenderness did not help her at all. Unfortunately, even she knew the truth of his words. The Hyuuga elders would probably use their relationship as an excuse to get her branded. She tightened her hold on him just a little before she pulled away. They smiled at each other before turning back and walking towards their friends.

Just as they reached the clearing where their friends stood, Naruto held Hinata back and smiled at her sincerely, his eyes soft and fond, causing Hinata's breath to catch.

"Arigato na, Hinata-hime. You are the one person who had always believed in me. For that, you will always be one of my most precious people. Thank you."

He walked away then, giving her a moment to collect herself. Their friends watched them return, their eyes studying the pair as Hinata went to stand with Neji and her team. She said nothing, her eyes remained glued to the ground.

"Well," Shikamaru started, breaking the silence. "This is really troublesome but congratulations, I guess. No plans for an actual wedding?"

"Yeah, Naruto! You guys can't simply decide not to have a wedding! How are we suppose to congratulate you guys properly?" Ino cried out, scandalized.

"Actually, I can't believe you two got married without informing Sai and I. Aren't we a team, Naruto?" Sakura asked, hurt clouding her eyes.

Naruto sighed. This is really was too troublesome. "Gomen ne, Sakura-chan. But Kakashi and I really wanted to keep it quiet. And things have been really hectic. So…we never really wanted to make a big deal of it. And you know Kakashi….do you really think he would have a wedding? He would probably make me and the guests wait for 3 hours!"

The youths laughed imagining the scene Naruto painted and nodded their heads. It definitely sounded like something Kakashi would do.

"So…you're happy, Naruto?" Chouji asked watching his friend closely.

Naruto simply smiled widely and nodded, hiding his own insecurities of the marriage behind a well crafted mask.

XXX

He was so used to coming home to Naruto's cooking that the silence of his own home unnerved him. He was a man who was used to being alone and yet within weeks his spouse had managed to change him. Kakashi shook his head, amused at himself. He could not believe how used he was to having Naruto live with him. So the copy nin took a nice long bath and settled in the living room. He was definitely not waiting for Naruto to come home. He simply wanted to read his porn in peace in his living room.

He was definitely not waiting for Naruto to come home.

In fact, he was simply going to sit by the window and enjoy the warm air. It had nothing to do with the window overlooking the main street at all.

Where was Naruto anyways? It was quite late and he knew Naruto did not have a mission. It was not like he worried about him. Naruto could do whatever he wanted. Kakashi was just a little hungry.

It was a little late though…maybe he should go look for him? Naruto might have gotten into trouble.

Kakashi conveniently forgot the fact that this was the man who saved the elemental continents.

Kakashi was roused from his thoughts by the sound of a key sliding into the knob and unlocking the door. In came Naruto, dressed in his usual orange and black jumpsuit. He looked up and grinned when he saw Kakashi.

"Tadaima."

"Okaerinasai. Had a nice day, Naruto?"

He eyed his husband, watching the way he walked with unconscious grace. Kakashi swallowed tightly.

Naruto walked by him not noticing the way Kakashi's eyes widened unexpectedly.

"Have you eaten, Kashi? If not I can whip up something simple after a quick shower," Naruto asked as he removed his jumper, his tight black top exposed to his husband's eyes.

When he did not hear an answer, he turned and saw Kakashi staring intently at him. He blinked. "Kakashi?"

He had to stop himself from slamming the blonde and marking him. The brief sniff he had taken when Naruto walked past him. Instead of his blonde's refreshing scent, he could smell the scent of plum and cherries on him. He also knew that scent well.

It was Hyuuga Hinata's.

Why was Hinata's scent on Naruto? It was also unusually strong. What the hell had his blonde been doing? Kakashi's fist tightened painfully though his face remained blank. He wanted to yell at Naruto. He wanted to demand that Naruto tell him everything. He wanted to slam the blonde on the wall and show him exactly who he belonged to.

He had not caught Naruto's question but he did notice when Naruto called out his name. Naruto approached the older man in worry. Was something wrong? Kakashi looked so out of it that it worried the blonde. He reached out to feel if Kakashi was ill when his wrist was firmly grasped by a gloved hand. He looked up into gray eye and almost pulled away at the sheer intensity of Kakashi's gaze.

"Kakashi, is everything alright?"

Kakashi tightly nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry. Why don't you take a shower and we can have dinner together?"

Naruto beamed and nodded. He turned to walk away when he looked at Kakashi with a pointed gaze. Kakashi's eye followed the direction of his gaze and simply smiled as he released the blonde's hand. Naruto shook his head and disappeared into his room.

Kakashi watched the closed door and for once regretted saying things before thinking.

Letting Naruto go? Could he really?

He doubted it. He was way too possessive to let his blonde leave him.

Even if it was for Hinata.

Naruto walked out 15 minutes later smelling as he always did. Kakashi found himself relaxing as the comforting scent filled his senses. He simply sat the dining table watching Naruto cook. The blonde cooked as he told Kakashi about meeting the Konoha 11 and Sai.

"Is that why you smell like Hinata," Kakashi asked as casually as he could, eye-smiling at Naruto. The blonde blinked a couple of times and frowned.

"I smelled like Hinata?" he asked curiously.

Kakashi simply shrugged as he forced another spoonful of fried rice down his throat. It was really difficult to concentrate on his food when he was still thinking of Naruto and Hinata together.

Naruto tried hard to think of what could have possibly left Hinata's scent on him when he remembered their conversation. His mood dropped slightly but he gave Kakashi a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing really. Hinata confessed to me during Pein's invasion. I never answered her either way. Now that we are married I thought it would be prudent to reject her politely and privately. Good thing too. She ended up crying all over me. I really felt bad, you know. Hinata-chan is a really sweet girl but it would never have worked between us. She was okay afterwards so it should not be a problem."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, relieved that there wasn't anything else going on. He did feel sorry for the girl but he had come to realize that there was no way he was going to let his blonde go.

"It was really nice of you to apologize to her, Naruto."

Naruto shrugged. "I kinda owe her, ya know. She was the only one who believed in me no matter what. I really feel bad that I could not reply positively to her feelings but maybe it is better this way? At least I won't come between her and her family."

Kakashi did not say anything as he thought of Naruto's words. Really, the child was too good sometimes.

"You are just as important, Naruto."

The sincerity in his husband's voice caused a light blush to darken Naruto's cheeks. "Oh, shut up."

Kakashi smirked but said nothing else, content on watching Naruto eat.

"Mou, Kakashi! Stop staring at me! I can't even glare at you since I promised not to look at you when we are having our meals," Naruto pouted as he tried not to shudder under his husband's gaze.

"How do you know I am staring at you if you are not looking at me?" Kakashi asked, his tone casual although Naruto would have noticed the mischief in his eye if he had looked up.

"I can feel it, ero-sensei!" Naruto growled as he finished his meal and slowly piled up the dishes. He walked over to the sink and placed the dirty dishes inside. Before he could turn to get the rest of the dishes, Kakashi blocked him by standing directly behind him and placed the rest of the dishes in the sink.

Naruto stilled as Kakashi's arms trapped him between the sink and his body. He dared not turned behind for he knew Kakashi was way too close for comfort. His heartbeat increases painfully and his breath caught in his throat.

Kakashi simply leaned even closer, purposely aligning the top half of their bodies together. The feel of Naruto's back against his chest almost made him hum contently. He could clearly smell Naruto's unique scent beneath the soap he used. He nudged Naruto's hair using his nose and heard his spouse's breath catch. Kakashi grinned as he saw the death grip Naruto had on the kitchen counter. He knew the blonde was beyond confused right now and decided not to push him too much. So he simply leaned in closer.

"Ero-sensei, Naruto? Do you really want me to teach you?" he whispered against Naruto's ear. He watched him with a flash of desire as the blonde's neck and ears clearly turned red. He wondered absently how low the redness would spread.

Naruto's eyes went impossibly wide. With a quick move, he pushed Kakashi away and glared at the masked man. However, as far as Kakashi was concerned he looked beyond cute when he glared with his face and neck red in embarrassment.

"Kakashi! Don't play with me! You pervert! Urgh! I could strangle you!" the blonde yelled as he scrambled out of the kitchen. "And you're cleaning the damn dishes!"

Kakashi chuckled as he heard the bedroom door shut close and leaned against the counter.

Well looks like he would have to seduce his husband after all.

There was no way he would let his blonde go.

XXX

This was beyond anything he had experienced before, Naruto thought as he cooked for dinner two weeks later. He had decided to prepare something more elaborate for dinner since it was the first weekend both of them were free without any commitments as all.

The last two weeks had been amazingly hectic. The council had gotten wind of their wedding and ordered Kakashi and Naruto to explain their relationship before the council. The clan heads did not mind so much and were clearly unhappy at the sight of the two shinobi being forced to come before the council. The civilian council and elders though were very insistent. They demanded to know why the two married.

Kakashi had shot them down as fast as they demanded answers. His reasoning was simple. He was the last of his clan and an elite jounin. Under both laws, he was not required to answer to anyone regarding who he decided to marry. The council can 'demand' all they want. He was not going to obey them. On top of that, he was a shinobi and the shinobi council and clan heads had no problems with his marriage. The civilian council had no authority over him.

Naruto had simply looked at the civilian council like they were a bunch of morons and stated in a clear voice that not even the Hokage can demand who the shinobi can marry. One of the unchanging laws of Konoha's foundation was the freedom to marry among the shinobi and kunoichi that cannot be controlled by the council or the Hokage. Unless the shinobi was him. Everyone seems to think they have the right to dictate his life! The first exception was for the clans. The second exception was for political marriages involving the village and other villages. He had no desire to explain his marriage to them. He was no longer a child they could bully into submission.

Needless to say, the civilian council and elders were not happy with them while the shinobi council and clan heads hid their amusement, poorly.

Of course, both of their friends and peers decided to butt into their life now that the news of their marriage was common news. Both Naruto and Kakashi had an exhausting time fielding the questions and ensuring no one knew the real truth of their marriage. It left them both ridiculously tired.

However, despite everything that was happening, the one thing that hit Naruto the most was Kakashi. The older nin had taken to ensuring as most physical contact between them. He always found a reason to touch Naruto, be it grazing their fingers, ruffling his hair or grabbing his wrist.

Naruto really did not know what to think. He wondered what Kakashi truly wanted. He truly was not used to physical expressions. It was not like people would go out of their way to touch or hug him. Iruka-sensei and Sandaime-jiji were quite affectionate. Jiraiya was also okay but he was not really a physical person. Other than that, the only physical contact he had was during spars and fights. Those definitely did not count.

He had no idea what to do in his situation. He could not approach anyone else either since no one but Tsunade, Inoichi and Shikaku knew the truth behind his marriage. There was no way he was approaching them. The only person left was Kakashi and Naruto was really not sure if he should ask the copy nin about this.

He was so lost in thought that he did not hear or feel Kakashi slip up behind him until a breath of hot air was blown by his ear and a husky voice whispered, "Tadaima, Naru-chan."

Naruto was definitely not proud to admit that he yelped and almost burned himself on the stove if not for Kakashi's quick actions. Safely encased in the copy nin's arms, Naruto could feel his husband laughing. He hit an arm in annoyance before looking up into the single eye with mock anger.

"Okaerinasai, Kashi-chan. Must you do that?"

Kakashi simply raised an eyebrow at the nickname and grinned wickedly behind the mask. "Kashi-chan? Hmm, you are so adorable, Naru-chan."

Naruto pushed the taller man away and glared. "I am not adorable. Seriously, Kakashi, I could have dropped something."

"You are a shinobi, Naruto. Don't tell me you are slacking?" Kakashi asked mockingly as he peered into the pot and saw the miso with eggplant soup cooking. He inhaled the delicious scent happily. He was definitely going to enjoy dinner tonight, he thought as he caught the sight of the broiled saury already plated.

Naruto saw where his eyes strayed and smacked the copy nin on the arm. "No touching until it's time for dinner, alright? I do not want to see it mysteriously disappearing."

Kakashi pouted behind his mask. "I'm not that bad. I have more patience than you at any rate."

Scoffing, Naruto went back to cooking his dishes. He still had to finish cooking the vegetable and remove the tofu from the stove.

"You are such a good housewife, Naru-chan," Kakashi teased playfully as he helped to set the table. He laughed at the growling denials from his little fox.

Kakashi's mouth was already salivating at the aroma wafting around the kitchen. He forced himself to leave and take a quick shower before joining Naruto in the kitchen for dinner. He had plans for seducing his husband tonight.

While Kakashi took a quick shower, Naruto finished setting up the table. The blonde's hand had shaken slightly as he finished his cooking. The feel of Kakashi's body against his and the strength of those arms around him had sent a pleasurable shock throughout his body. Naruto only hoped that Kakashi had not noticed it. He had tried hard to hide his reaction from Kakashi after all.

Still, the copy nin was driving him absolutely nuts. Naruto truly hoped that Kakashi would simply come out and tell him exactly what is it that he wanted. Naruto was really not good at these sort of things.

They had a pleasant dinner. Kakashi had not said anything to make things awkward, the food was good and the atmosphere was very relaxing. The two men enjoyed the quiet night and retired to the living room where Naruto lay down on the couch and sighed in delight. Although the fox did heal any bruises or wounds he acquired but it was never done directly. As such, the day's running around had left the blonde aching and his feet sore.

"Long day?" Kakashi asked softly. Naruto grunted and simply stretched, unknowingly giving the copy nin quite a show as he twisted his body to relieve the knots on his back. Kakashi's eye glinted in desire as he took in the lithe man before him. "Want a hand?"

Naruto blinked owlishly at him. "What do you mean, Kakashi?"

"Would you like a back rub?" Kakashi asked as though he regularly offered such services.

The blonde tilted his head curiously. "Back rub?"

This time, the copy nin simply looked at him in surprise. "You have never gotten a back rub?"

Naruto silently shook his head. Inwardly, Kakashi grinned in unholy glee. Oh, this was good. This was very good. Outwardly, he simply shook his head in mock sadness.

"Maa, that would not do. We really cannot deprive you of this experience. Come on, let me introduce you to a good back rub," Kakashi said as he stood up and walked over to his room. Naruto's eyes simply widened as he looked at the room and then at Kakashi.

"Why do we need to go to your room, Kakashi? Can't we do it here?" he asked feeling both curious and apprehensive. Kakashi simply eye-smiled.

"Maa, I have more space on my bed. It's just a back rub, Naru-chan. Are you scared?"

He really should be above such taunting, Naruto thought moments later when he lay on Kakashi's bed on his stomach without his shirt. Kakashi had positioned him to the middle of the wide bed and told him to lay face down. Naruto felt really apprehensive but he kept quiet as he heard his former sensei searching for something.

"What's the point of this, Kakashi?" Naruto asked to dispel the silence in the room. Kakashi grinned at the bottle of oil and returned to the bed. He poured a generous amount on his hands and rubbed them to warm the oil. Slowly he concentrated a small amount of chakra on his hands and rubbed Naruto's shoulder blade.

The blonde could not help the moan that escaped his lips, unknowingly causing his husband to harden. Kakashi gritted his teeth at the moan and continued rubbing Naruto's back until he felt the blonde relax beneath his hands.

"It's simple, Naruto. It's to relax your muscles, get rid of the knots and give you an example of how I want it done as well," Kakashi explained in a low voice, sending pleasurable waves over Naruto's body.

"Oh…..hmm…this is so good, Kashi," Naruto groaned as Kakashi pressed against his shoulder blades. The chakra and the oil made a deadly combination, Naruto thought as he unexpectedly gave way to sleep.

Kakashi continued his ministrations, although he knew Naruto was asleep. The man was truly a vision, lying on his bed, his hair spread on the pillow and his shorts lay low on his hips.

Kakashi's eyes were drawn to those low slung shorts and his hands slowly massaged down Naruto's back to the curve of his ass. He really should not be doing this, Kakashi thought as his hands kneaded the flesh just above the shorts. His breath hitched at the glimpse of Naruto's ass but he stopped himself from going too far. He wanted to cherish his young love, not force him into a physical relationship. He had to be careful how he approached Naruto. As it was, the young man was unexpectedly skittish. Kakashi wished he could claim denial on why Naruto was like that but he knew better than that. Having never felt affection and love since he was young, Naruto did not recognize those feelings even if he craved them. The blonde had craved what he never had but did not know what to do now that he was granted his heart's desire. In a way, it was similar to Kakashi's predicament. He had rejected all normal human interactions and now was rather lost at showing even the basic means of affections.

Kakashi knew to tread carefully with his husband. It would not do to scare him. This was amazingly, a learning curve for them both.

Now though, he had a rather pressing problem to take care of and being beside Naruto was definitely not helping.

He awoke to warmth. His body was encased in such warmth that he felt too lazy to move. The feeling of home and safety assaulted his senses leaving him content. His bed had never felt so comfortable, Naruto sleepily mused as he pressed closer to his pillow.

Naruto stilled as he felt arms tightening around him and his 'pillow' shift beneath him. Eyes widening in alarm, the blonde tried to figure out where he was. This was definitely not his room and he was certain he never brought anyone home.

Just then, the other body sifted and Naruto felt the unmistakable feel of a man's hardness against his thigh and his own pressed against the man. His whole body flushed as he tilted his head and caught the eye of his husband.

"Good morning," Kakashi wished cheekily, watching in amusement as Naruto's whole body turned red. His cock twitched slightly at the delectable sight of the blonde. Naruto's eyes widened and he pulled away from his husband's arms, immediately wishing he hadn't left when the warmth left him.

"Kakashi! I'm so sorry!" Naruto cried out when he realized that he had fallen asleep on Kakashi's bed. "You should have just woke me up."

Although disappointed that Naruto was no longer in his arms, Kakashi casually looked at the younger man. "It's not such a big deal, Naruto. We have shared sleep areas before."

"I know but…"

"Still, must be a good morning, eh? Need a hand with that?" Kakashi asked playfully as his eye purposefully focused on the noticeable tent on Naruto's shorts.

The younger man shut his eyes in mortification and immediately made his way to the bathroom.

"No thanks."

"Pity. Another's touch is rather arousing."

"KAKASHI!"

Kakashi laughed as Naruto slammed the door behind him. He snuggled back under the covers. He could smell Naruto's scent on the bed and sighed happily. It had definitely been a good night. Now all he had to do was figure out how to get the blonde to sleep with him permanently.

XXX

"So….how are things between you and Kakashi-san?" Shikamaru asked as he moved his piece across the shogi board. Naruto was truly improving, he thought absently as he watched the blonde silently contemplate his move before countering Shikamaru's. The genius Nara heir nodded approvingly at Naruto's step.

The blonde before him sighed. "I don't know, Shika. I mean…it's weird enough that I'm married to my sensei of all people. I really do respect the man and I understand him now better than I did at 12. I forgave him for abandoning me all those years ago. He did make up for it when I returned from my training. We had spent a lot of time together but that was all for training, you know. We never spent much personal time together. I trust him in the battlefield and I trust him with my life but how do I know if I can trust him with my heart? Tsunade-baachan did say it would be perfect if we fell for each other but how do I know if I love him? For all my desires for a family, Shika, I don't really get how a family or a couple work? And nowadays, he's been really weird too. The pervert is driving me crazy!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at that admission. This was so troublesome. Why did he do this again? He wondered as he made his next move.

"How is he weird, you troublesome blonde?" Shikamaru drawled lazily as he kept a half-lidded eye on the board.

Naruto flushed. He wondered if he should really be talking about this to Shikamaru but he really had no one else he trusted to turn to about this. Iruka would probably flip and the rest of the rookie 9 were not exactly the advice-giving type.

"Well, he's been touching me a lot…just simple things, you know like touching my fingers, ruffling my hair and such. Then sometimes, he corners me when I'm cooking or washing up and whispers in my ears. The other day, he gave me a back rub and I fell asleep on his bed. Instead of waking me up, carrying me to my bed or sleeping on my bed, he sleeps next to me. He scared the hell out of me in the morning, Shika!" Naruto grumbled, his face red as he moved his own piece. It was such an unexpected move but Shikamaru did not notice as he was busy staring at Naruto in shock.

Dear gods, the blonde was bloody oblivious! This was beyond troublesome. Why was he doing this again? The clouds look too tempting right now. The shadow user sighed causing Naruto to look up at him.

"Naruto, have you considered the thought that he might be seducing you?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion as his mind worked through that thought. "Why would he seduce me, Shika? I'm nothing special."

Shikamaru resisted the urge to bang his head on the wall. He looked straight into his friend's eyes and said as firmly as possible.

"Naruto, you are a very good looking guy. You are married to Sharingan no Kakashi, who is an elite jounin. Both of you have been advised to consider deepening your relationship. If I have to make an assumption, I will say that staying with you and knowing you better has made Kakashi-san more fond of you and he is trying to seduce you to deepen your relationship. The man is courting you slowly, Naruto, as a lover and a proper husband."

Big blue eyes stared at him in horror. Shikamaru felt a twinge of pity for the blonde. He had clearly not been in this situation before.

"What do I do, Shika? How do I know if I want to deepen our relationship?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I would suggest you get to know each other beyond the boundary of your home. The comfort of your home is like a safe haven. You have the chance to avoid one another if things get heated and you want to hide. But if you really want to have a good relationship, you need to be able to know the person inside out. What is the person like in public with you? Where are their favourite places? How does the person treat you in front of others? Are they ashamed of the relationship? Are they happy? Are they indifferent? Go for a few dates. Go to a restaurant. Go train privately. Visit a hot spring. Watch a movie. Just get out of the house and make an effort. Show him you are serious and in return, see how serious he is."

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean make an effort?"

So troublesome, Shikamaru grumbled half-heartedly. Why was he doing this again?

"You troublesome blonde. Make an effort. Dress up nicely. Get rid of the jumpsuit you always wear when you two go out. Get a yukata or a simple jeans and shirt. Sometimes just dressing up differently can change someone's perception of you. You two are married. Even if you never thought of yourself in this position, it is too late now. It's best if you make the best of this situation. Who knows, by putting in more effort and seeing him as 'Kakashi' rather than 'sensei', you might start having feelings for him too."

Naruto wished he could simply smile and ignore everything he talked to Shikamaru however he knew the whole situation won't miraculously resolve itself without any effort on his part. Maybe there was something to Shikamaru's advice. If he could try and see Kakashi in a different light, maybe he could fall for his former sensei. The idea of cheating on Kakashi without someone else left a bitter taste in Naruto's mouth.

He nodded decisively. He was going to try this. If it falls apart, at least he could say with confidence that he tried. He moved his final piece and jumped up.

"Thanks, Shika! I better leave. I'll catch you around!" Naruto yelled as he left.

Shikamaru frowned. He really preferred to finish a game and not leave it half ways incomplete. He was about to mutter troublesome again when he noticed the piece Naruto moved. He frowned and studied the piece again and then the whole game. Well, he'll be damned.

The blonde won.

While they were chatting, Naruto had been using the talk as a distraction, moving inane pieces unexpectedly and cornering him expertly. It was the blonde's first win and he wasn't even there to gloat.

How troublesome.

He thought of those wide blue eyes, so full of passion and smiled as he leaned back and enjoyed the sun.

How troublesome but really, the blonde was a refreshing sort of troublesome. He was Shikamaru's closest friend and soon, he would be Shikamaru's leader, of that the taller man had no doubts.

He could only smile knowingly at that and wonder when he could trap the blonde for another game.

XXX

Kakashi only blinked when a small messenger toad appeared before him with a written message from his blonde. His eyes widened as he read the message and he found himself blinking rapidly and rereading the message just to be sure.

"Naruto-niichan told me to wait for a reply," the toad, Gamajun, a small purple toad with orange spots informed him as he waited on the copy-nin's knee.

"Aa. Give me a moment."

He reread the message again in disbelieve and wondered what brought this on but seriously, was he complaining?

The message was simple:

_Kakashi, this is really embarrassing and I hope I am not reading you wrongly. If you are willing, perhaps we can go out for dinner tonight. There is a new restaurant at 5__th__ street where they serve sushi. I would have to make reservations though. I was hoping we could probably have dinner around 7pm? Please send your reply with Gamajun. And really, if you are coming, please be on time._

Dinner with Naruto in a casual atmosphere at 7? Hmm….this was an interesting development. It definitely took a lot of courage for Naruto to issue the invitation and it was also a very unexpected move on the blonde's end. Kakashi had expected to make all the moves. This was a very refreshing development. Looks like he would be having a very different evening ahead.

"Please tell Naruto that I am willing and that I'll meet him at home. We can leave together. Thanks, Gamajun."

The toad nodded and disappeared. Kakashi reread the letter and smirked. He slipped it in between his Icha Icha Vacation book and wondered in amusement on how this evening would proceed. For one thing, it was going to be a casual setting. As their first date, it would be a far more comfortable setting.

Kakashi chuckled. He had thought he would be the one initiating their first date. Once more, Naruto had surprised him. He would give this round to the blonde. However, he was determined to make the next move. Hopefully, the night would be a good one.

Naruto had forcefully kept himself busy as he wanted to keep his mind away from Kakashi's reply. As much as he wished Kakashi would agree on a simple date, he was still quite unsure of where he stood with the copy nin. He really wanted to give this relationship a proper chance before blowing it off. Considering this was his first date, he really was not sure if he was doing things correctly after all.

When Gamajun appeared with a positive reply, he sighed in relief. He thanked the toad, paid him with sweets and sent a clone to reserve a secluded corner for the two of them. It was the first time they would be appearing in public as a couple and Naruto did not fancy being stared at the whole night.

Now, all he had to do was think of what he was going to wear for dinner. It was a casual event, so he decided to take Shikamaru's advice, ditch his usual apparel and find something more suitable.

Despite what everyone thought, Naruto actually did have a wide variety of clothes in his possession. He had always kept them in scrolls to keep them safe. While he was travelling with Jiraiya, he realized that the clothes in other villages were so much cheaper and affordable. Hence, whatever money he earned, he kept aside some to buy some really good clothes. On the advice of an elderly man in one of the villages, Naruto had learned to buy clothes several sizes bigger to accommodate his growth. And boy was he glad! As a training nin, he did not need to dress up and as such had not worn any of the clothes he bought. However, they fitted him perfectly now although some fitted almost like a glove. Naruto's personal favorites were two sets of yukata Jiraiya had helped him pick and a full set of formal clothes Jiraiya bought as a present.

Since it was a casual date, Naruto decided to wear a simple black jeans, which was surprisingly tight but was still comfortable and a silk baby blue shirt, which the woman at the stall swore matched his eyes. He had his necklace around his neck and a leather bracelet on his wrist. Instead of tying his hitai-ate around his head as usual, Naruto had decided to go for a change and tied it around his upper arm. He folded the sleeves of his top instead of keeping them down and slipped on a silver belt he bought when he was passing by Kiri.

Studying his reflection in the mirror he nodded decisively. He definitely did not look too bad. He looked far different from his orange-black jumpsuit anyways. Naruto could hear Kakashi getting ready in the next room and smiled. The older man had came in while he was taking his shower and Naruto was glad that Kakashi was at least making an initiative. He really hoped the night went well.

Beside his room, Kakashi was getting ready for their date. The copy-nin had taken a long shower and washed away the grime he accumulated throughout the day. His mind was focused on the date he was having with Naruto that evening. Part of him was tempted to open the door connected to the bathroom and see what his husband had decided to wear. Another part of him was wondering on what he should wear. Should he make an effort or should he go as he usually dressed?

While people might stare if he dressed differently, this wasn't some chick he picked up in a bar. This was Naruto, his sensei's son, his former student, and his husband. This was a boy-turned-man he had watched his whole life and respected. Even if it did not occur to Naruto to dress well, he should probably set precedence on how dates should be like.

Mind made up, Kakashi decided to dress up instead of hiding behind his regular jounin uniform. If tongues were going to be wagging, he would rather give them something to actually talk about. That said, the copy-nin dressed in a pair of blue jeans that had not seen the light of day for quite some years. He was proud to say that it fit like a glove and showcased his legs quite well. For a top, he wore a deep maroon turtleneck as well as a similar colored mask. He kept his hitai-ate slanted as usual and checked on his appearance one last time.

Good, he was ready. And right on time for a change.

Grinning he walked out of his room and went to the living room where he heard Naruto moving around. However, the moment he laid his eyes on the other man, Kakashi wondered if there was a chance he could cancel the date and they could spend it at home. There was no way he was taking his husband out in public looking like that. He preferred the orange jumpsuit to this!

Naruto looked like sex personified. His golden spikes had tames over the years with the growth of his hair. Kakashi had seen it down before but never in this fashion. There was a touch of wet look and the hair was messily combed, as though Naruto had just gotten out of bed. The hair alone gave a hundred different impure thoughts. The rest of him was just begging to be molested. His cheeks had lost the baby fat and were more lean and sharp, reminding the jounin of his sensei. His whisker marks were less prominent but the teasing glint of them made him look exotic. His blue eyes were wide open, watching him curiously and all Kakashi could think of was how it would look once he corrupted the innocent blonde. The blue shirt that Naruto wore simply dragged back the focus to his eyes. The silk material teased Kakashi's sight because he could clearly see the outline of Naruto's nipples and abs everytime the blonde shifted.

And the jeans!

Kami-sama! Those jeans should be burnt! Kakashi knew that Naruto had good legs but those jeans simply emphasized his pert ass and thighs. The image of having Naruto wrapping his legs around Kakashi's waist almost gave the older man a nosebleed. The accessories the blonde wore simply gave him more of a personality, which the older man loved very much.

He was sure Naruto would catch the eyes of every man and woman in Konoha. He was going to be very busy ensuring no one dared to put moves on his husband.

"Kakashi?" A soft, unsure voice called out, breaking the jounin's thoughts on his delicious little spouse. He blinked and looked into deep blue eyes and forced himself not to react. Oh gods! Those eyes were just so sinful!

"Ye..Yeah, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked, unsure. "Is everything alright? You just stopped and stared. Is something wrong with how I'm dressed?"

Kakashi immediately shook his head. True, he was jealous at all the attention the younger man was going to receive and he might feel a little homicidal about it but Naruto was all dressed up for him! That was a wonder by itself and Kakashi was not going to risk this being a single event.

"You look wonderful. I'm going to have to beat of any suitors of yours with explosive tags, I think," Kakashi replied with an eye-smile. He wasn't even sure if he was joking.

Naruto chuckled. "You really do exaggerate. I highly doubt anything like that will happen. You, on other hand, look exceptionally wonderful. I have never seen you in anything but your jounin uniform."

Kakashi grinned and ushered him out of their house. "Neither have I. You really do look good, Naruto."

Feeling mischievous, he leaned down slightly and whispered directly into Naruto's ears, causing the blonde to blush a deep red. "Good enough to eat, Naru-chan. And this wolf is very hungry."

Naruto punched the jounin in the gut in and stalked out of the house, his whole face a furious red. That damn pervert! He was so going to get him for this.

"Naru-chan! We're supposed to go together!" Kakashi called out with a smirk as he matched his husband's steps. Naruto slipped his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching out and strangling the silver haired nin. He glared at the man instead and instead saw him buried in his new icha icha book.

Naruto smirked as he saw the book but Kakashi did not notice this as he was far more focused on the way Naruto's ass looked in the jeans. He also noticed he was not the only one who noticed as quite a number of people were eyeing his blonde. A growl threatened to escape his throat but Kakashi kept himself in check. He really did not want to ruin their first night out by putting a number of people in the hospital.

It was just their luck that they managed to reach the restaurant without many problems. Well, at least Naruto thought they didn't have any problems. Kakashi however noticed quite a few people tripping over stuff or simply stopping to stare at the pair. Once they recognized him, they would move over to his blonde and keep their eyes on him. The sheer intensity of the possessiveness he felt almost left him feeling heady. He knew he had been quite attracted to the blonde for quite some time but this was just crazy.

Of course, Kakashi failed to notice the amount of looks he was getting but Naruto did not. He almost frowned at the amount of people who kept eyeing the silver haired man. He supposed that Kakashi was good looking but since he never saw his face, he could not really tell. He had always thought that Kakashi was rather cool and the first advice he had given Team 7 would always be burnt in Naruto's mind. No matter how lazy and perverted his sensei had been, Naruto had a very soft spot for the man. Seeing all these people eyeing his sensei like a piece of meat made him feel very protective. Had they always eyed his sensei as they eyed Sasuke? He had not really noticed.

Of course, Naruto failed to notice his own surprised fans.

Hence the pair made it to the restaurant simply because too many people were surprised at their new looks. They were shown to their seats by a blushing woman and a waiter was assigned to them. It was quite a beautiful restaurant. Kakashi was surprised and pleased by the interior. It had a rather good balance between intimate and casual. The staff was attentive and their corner was rather secluded. He was very pleased with Naruto's choice.

"You approve?"

He looked at his husband and nodded. "It's a beautiful place. The atmosphere is comfortable and not stifling. We are also away from curious eyes. I definitely approve. You have good taste, Naruto."

Naruto ducked his head, a blush adorning his cheeks. His hand unconsciously raised and rubbed the back of his head, a gesture of nervousness. "I…ah…asked around a little. I've not been here before but Chouji had good reviews of this place and I know when it comes to food, Akimichi's are the best bet. I'm glad you approve."

"Hmm…now I have to find somewhere you approve as well," Kakashi said casually, his eyes on Naruto's sunshine locks. The blonde looked up, surprised and say the outline of a smile behind the maroon mask.

"I don't understand…?"

"Maa, Naru-chan, you cannot possibly expect to be the only one issuing dates, hmm? You did beat me to asking you out so I hope I can surprise you with date as well."

The blush on Naruto's face did not recede. He could not bear to face the jounin, instead he looked outside and admired the garden view they had. The food they ordered was brought by a red faced waiter and Kakashi had to hide his frown when the waiter kept stealing glances at Naruto. It really did not help that Naruto simply beamed at the man and thanked him for his service. The poor waiter did not stand a chance. He hightailed out of there and Kakashi could have sworn he saw a trickle of blood falling from the man's nose.

However much he wanted to throttle the man, he would rather be with blonde. The younger man's table manners had definitely improved over the years. He had also kept his eyes down as usual and Kakashi found himself smiling at the consideration Naruto showed him. Before the blonde would always try to see beyond the mask but his enthusiasm had been tampered over the years. This more mature side of the blonde made something clench in the pit of the jounin's stomach but he forced himself to ignore the feeling.

They talked softly about their day. Neither talked about why Naruto asked Kakashi out. To Kakashi, it was not important and Naruto was just glad Kakashi did not ask him.

The dinner was good and the dessert was excellent. Kakashi tipped their waiter generously while Naruto paid for the food. They left the restaurant, both content with the silence between them. Kakashi had never been much of a talker and Naruto was always quiet when he was at home. At that moment, he did not feel the need to express himself. The date was simple and uncomplicated.

The blonde had always craved the jounin's attention and presence. Having it now only brought a wave of calm over his being. He did not understand why he felt like that but he did not feel the need to examine his feelings too deeply. He was content with how things were.

They slipped through the people easily and avoided people they did not want to see and reached home at a reasonable time. Kakashi watched as the smiling man slipped into the house quietly. They both removed their footwear and Kakashi watched as Naruto walked over to his room to chance.

He did not know when he moved. All he knew was that this was the chance to change something between them. His hand reached out and grabbed Naruto's wrist before his brain could protest. Bright blue eyes looked at his gray one in confusion. Kakashi's own breath was rather unsteady as he tugged the blonde into his arms. The younger man was too confused to do anything but watch the jounin in bewilderment.

"Ne, Naru-chan, have you forgotten?"

Naruto blinked innocently at the older man. He could not remember what he had forgotten. Whatever it was, he was sure he could take care of it once he undressed.

"What is it, Kakashi?"

Kakashi kept a firm hand around the blonde's waist and pressed his lips to his husband's ear. "Where's my goodnight kiss?"

Naruto could not stop the shudder that travelled through his body at the sound of Kakashi's voice. He only just managed to suppress his whimper when Kakashi's words registered.

"K..Kiss?"

He really should push the jounin away, Naruto thought as Kakashi's arms tightened. He watched in confused amazement as Kakashi hooked a hand on his mask and pulled it down. However, instead of focusing on his face, Naruto found himself staring at Kakashi's eye. The gray eye studied him intensely and Naruto unconsciously licked his dry lips. As though drawn by that action, Kakashi's eye focused on his lips. In a quick move, he angled Naruto's head and kissed the blonde.

It was not a dominating or passionate kiss. Instead it was soft and gentle and the mere pressure of Kakashi's lips against his made Naruto's knee felt horrifyingly weak. The blonde had never seriously kissed anyone and the feel of Kakashi's warm lips against him made him yearn for more.

Kakashi was stunned when he felt Naruto submit automatically to his kiss. The heady feeling of having the blonde in his arms intensified and the silver haired nin could only moan as Naruto pressed his body closer to him. What had started off as a chaste kiss turned passionate in a blink of an eye.

Kakashi had really not expected to lose control so easily. The feel of Naruto against him and the scent of his husband almost made him feel dizzy. He pushed the blonde against the couch and trapped his body there with his own. Both his hands held the blonde's face and angled it. He nipped and sucked at Naruto's bottom lip causing the blonde to gasp. Taking advantage of the situation, he slipped his tongue into Naruto's warmth and tasted his husband for the first time.

Naruto tasted so sweet and spicy. It was an unexpected combination but Kakashi had long given up expecting something normal from Naruto. The taste of him was very addictive though as Kakashi found himself exploring the moist cavern aggressively. Naruto's whimpers and moans only heightened his desire and he could feel himself harden against his husband.

The blonde whisker-cheeked man could only whimper and moan as Kakashi took him. He could not fight back or push the older man away. Instead, he held onto his husband desperately by his top. His whole body felt as though it was strung tightly and he could only press himself closer to the copy nin, feeling painfully hot. Kakashi's tongue felt amazing inside his mouth and his hands were unconsciously channeling chakra and caressing his cheeks. The feel of those chakra covered hands on his cheeks caused an incredible amount of pleasure to surge through him. He arched against his husband, almost sobbing with the intensity of Kakashi's actions.

Somehow, Naruto's sobs penetrated through Kakashi's desire filled mind and the older nin had enough strength to pull away from the younger man. They were both panting harshly when Kakashi realized what he had done. One single eye widened in horror before he gently released the blonde's cheeks. He cock twitched traitorously when Naruto whimpered but Kakashi ignored it. He focused instead on the blonde, whose eyes remained closed despite the hint of tears and fingers tightly clenched his turtleneck top. Seeing his flushed features and bruised lips, Kakashi could not help but lean forward to place a soft kiss on those lips.

They stood like that for a moment, Naruto with his fingers clenching Kakashi's top and Kakashi with his arms circling the blonde once more. Slowly, their breaths became more controlled and Naruto opened darkened eyes to look at Kakashi. The sight of those tear filled dark blue eyes staring at him almost made Kakashi groan but he forced himself to remain silent, unwilling to frighten his husband, who now looked a touch terrified.

"Naru, are you alright?" he asked softly, refusing to put any more space between them. He had already decided to have a proper relationship with the blonde and he would prefer it if Naruto would get used to being close to him. Memories of how the blonde used to avoid him sometime back even at the mention of them being together almost caused him to twitch.

Naruto looked uncertainly at Kakashi. "Is it always like that?" he whispered, feeling overwhelmed. He did not stare at Kakashi's exposed face. Instead, he watched that singular eye looking at him with something dark lurking inside. It made Naruto feel painfully exposed but for the life of him, he could not look away.

"Hmm…that was one type of kiss. I'm sorry. I did not expect to be so forceful. Are you alright?" Kakashi murmured as he stroked the blonde locks.

Naruto blushed deeply, finally looking away from Kakashi. He nodded shyly, unsure of what was going on. The blonde was really not proud of the fact he squeaked when Kakashi hugged him tightly.

"Kakashi?"

"Do you want to seriously give us a try, Naruto? I find that I can't let you go," The silver haired nin admitted softly, fear of losing the blonde clenched his heart.

Naruto nodded shyly. "I'd love to but Kashi, I really have no idea what to do."

He felt Kakashi's lips curve into a smile against his shoulder and found himself smiling as well as his body relaxed.

"I have no idea as well but I'm sure we can learn together, alright?"

Naruto nodded in his arms and the two stayed as they were for a few more moments before Kakashi pulled away. Naruto barely registered his looks when his husband kissed his forehead gently and pulled away.

"Goodnight, Naru."

Naruto forced his fingers to slowly unclench and slid them down Kakashi's arms. He did not miss the slight tremble of the copy nin's body but he ignored them for now. Instead, he took his own initiative and leaned up to kiss the corner of Kakashi's lips.

"Goodnight, Kashi."

Leaving the silver nin staring at him, Naruto slipped into his room and locked the door. Slowly he slipped into bed and stared at his room wordlessly before his whole face turned a dark red color. Furiously embarrassed, he buried his face into his pillow.

Kami-sama, if that was how kisses were going to be with Kakashi, Naruto was terrified how making love with the nin would be.

Beside his room, Kakashi was forcing his erection to die down. He did not feel like having a session with Naruto right beside him though the thought of the man brought images of their kiss to the front of his mind.

Kakashi cursed himself for losing control but even he could not find it in himself to regret the kiss. It only cemented his decision to keep his relationship with the blonde.

Since with Naruto, nothing ever happens like it should.

At least he would not be bored, the copy nin thought as he closed his eyes. His dreams were filled with desperate pants and trembling limbs of a certain golden haired shinobi.

XXX

The next day was rather surreal for both parties. Since they do not actually see each other until dinner usually, Naruto was surprised when he saw Kakashi was waiting for him during breakfast. He had been toweling his hair when he saw Kakashi and his face turned a delightful shade of red. Kakashi had been waiting for him without his mask. Naruto traced the features he had not taken much interest in yesterday.

Kakashi was really quite a looker. The silver haired nin was extremely handsome. His features were lean and sharp and for just a moment, Naruto felt his breath catch. This man was willing to be his. It was a humbling feeling.

He was startled when Kakashi stood right before him within a blink of an eye. He looked up into the gray eye and felt suddenly shy as Kakashi grinned mischievously.

The taller man leaned closer and slipped his hand around Naruto's neck before pulling him into a soft kiss.

"Good morning, Naruto."

Swallowing a few times, Naruto nodded and whispered a greeting back. He was really lost. He had not expected to see Kakashi so early in the morning. He had expected to at least have a few hours to centre himself. Still, the morning kiss was sweet and the feeling of safety bloomed inside him.

They chatted a little as they finished their breakfast and went their separate ways, although Kakashi once again gave him a kiss before leaving. Naruto really hoped he would get over it as he did not fancy being red faced permanently.

However the moment he laid his eyes on his friends, all who were grinning evilly, he found his face turning red so rapidly that he had no time to hide it at all. Looking at his reddening face, his friends started whistling and laughing playfully.

"Did ya get laid, Naruto?" Kiba called out gleefully, causing Naruto's face to darken even more.

"Shut up, Kiba!" the blonde growled but his friends all laughed even louder.

"So its true then?" Ino, Konoha's Number One Gossip Queen, asked. Naruto quickly shook his head.

"We did not sleep together. Sheesh! Perverts the lot of you! Nothing like that happened!" Naruto yelled, his hands flailing around.

"You protest too much, dickless," Sai replied, his voice having a hint of amusement.

"Well, I suppose I should have expected this," Sakura said with a wry smile as they watched Naruto take his place among them. The training grounds were empty as people were still focusing of rebuilding their village instead of training.

Confused, Naruto tilted his head questioningly. "What do you mean, Sakura-chan?"

This time, even the others kept quiet as they turned to listen to Sakura. The pink-haired woman grinned impishly. "Well, the only person you bought a gift for when you came back after your training was Kakashi-sensei. Despite asking me out for dates and being closer to Iruka-sensei, you did not get us anything."

Naruto's eyes widened as the others begin to nod their heads seriously. "But…but…but…that was ero-sennin's book! Everyone knows he likes Ero-sennin's books. It was a new book so I passed it to him. Iruka-sensei doesn't read those books and the only other person I know is closet pervert and I'm not close to him! What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well," Shikamaru started, "There is that mission…remember, Hiruko? You refused to let Kakashi-san go at all. In fact you went against Tsunade-sama to get Kakashi-san back. And you went as far as fixing those bells and giving it back to him."

"Oh yeah! And remember what Yamato-taichou told the jounins, Neji? During Naruto's training in elemental manipulation, what did Kakashi-san say after Naruto managed the training? He said that Kakashi-san told Naruto he liked him," Tenten said with a grin at the dark red flush on Naruto's face.

Naruto immediately shook his head. "No! No! NO! That was just him praising me for getting the method down! There was nothing going on!"

"No way!" Shikamaru sniggered. This was really quite fun. "When you two fought against Hiruko, Kakashi-san looked at you to accompany him. He did not even glance at Sakura and me."

Sakura nodded rapidly. "It's not such a recent thing either. I mean…the first time we met him, he had his fingers up your ass and after your training trip, you tried to get your fingers up his ass. I really should have gotten the clue then!"

"Urgh! Enough! Will you guys stop it already?" Naruto yelled as he clutched his head. The roar of laughter around the training ground made him pout but a small smile escaped him at the sight of his friends. It really was a pity that until the end Sasuke refused to return to the village.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts of his teammate, Naruto looked at his circle of friends and grinned. It was really a blessing that they survived the war with no lasting damages. He was so glad that they all were alive.

"So, Naruto," Ino started, sliding next to the man. Naruto blinked and shifted away a little, slightly uncomfortable with her proximity but otherwise he waited for her to finish her sentence. "Is it true you and Kakashi-san were seen in the village yesterday?"

Remembering the date, Naruto sighed and nodded. "Aa. We went out to eat because I had no mood to cook," the blonde improvised, not wanting the others to know he asked Kakashi out. Nevertheless, from Shikamaru's expression, he knew the dark-haired man had deduced correctly what happened yesterday.

"So….how was it?" Sakura asked when Naruto did not expand his answer. Naruto frowned.

"We went and ate. Was there something else we were supposed to do?" the blonde asked in confusion.

He was still desperately not thinking about the kiss. Well…kisses. Deep, dominating, addictive, overwhelming kisses.

Shit! He was not thinking about them!

"Oh come on, Naruto! Details! What's Kakashi-sensei like at home? Does he even take off his mask? How does he look like behind his mask? Well?" Sakura badgered, shaking her teammate for answers.

Naruto simply let her shake him while he thought of what to say. He was definitely not going to talk about anything personal even the mask. However, he knew what to say to get Sakura off his back.

"He reads the new Icha Icha Vacation when he is at home."

'Score!' Naruto yelled internally when Sakura let go of him and started berating their team captain. Carefully, Naruto extracted himself from the group and ran away before Shikamaru could warn them of his retreat. However, the Nara heir could only mutter under his breath as the others begin to chase the colorful shinobi all around the village, earning laughter from the people.

At the other side of the village, Kakashi was accosted by his fellow jounin. He had just submitted his report from his latest mission when he was grabbed by Genma and Raidou and dragged to the newly built jounin lounge in the 3rd floor of the tower.

The lounge was a new addition to the tower. It was huge and spacious. There were some non-perishable food items and hot drinks served at a counter. Comfortable couches and round tables were artfully arranged, providing a welcoming atmosphere.

Kakashi was dragged over to his circle of friends and could only sigh. He knew what they were going to ask and frankly, he was surprised it took them this long. However, the jounin was not in the mood. He really wanted to go home and molest…erm, spend time with his fox. Being waylaid here was quite annoying.

"My Eternal rival! How Youthful of you to join us this wonderful day!" Gai greeted at the top of his lungs.

Kakashi simply buried his face deeper into the book and raised a single eyebrow. "You said something?"

"Damn you and your hip attitude!" the green clad man yelled.

"Oh, stuff it, Gai. So, the little fox is not your temporary roommate. Yare, yare, I did not expect you to aim for your students, Kakashi. And what a high aim! I can see why you chose him," Genma said with a leer.

Kakashi seriously had to stomp down the snarl he could feel vibrating within him. He knew Genma was only pulling his leg but this level of possessiveness was surely going to get someone hurt one day, the jounin thought with an inward frown.

"Oh? And why is that?" Kakashi asked flippantly as he kept the book in front of his face. He silently dared Genma to say something perverted about his husband.

"Come on! It's not like no one has noticed the kid's growth. Have to say, the gaki is prime meat! I wouldn't mind tying him down and having some fun with him," Anko answered instead, the leer on her face obvious.

"Well, what's he like? You must be exhausted with all that excess energy. Or have you been directing it to something more productive?" Raidou asked with a grin.

"Neh, the brat and boy wonder here have not been banging each other. The kid still has the whole innocent look on him. Though I don't know what you are waiting for, Kakashi…the brat is gorgeous. I do not know how you can share a home with him and not fuck him at any available surface," Anko butted in but the others found themselves nodding at her words.

Kakashi simply shrugged. He was definitely not going to share his personal life with his comrades. He never did before and he was not starting now. And apparently they knew it too because they simply kept speculating and trying to make him slip up and say something. However, Yamato took pity on his senpai and directed the conversation to a different direction, giving Kakashi a chance to breathe.

He waited around for awhile before escaping from their grasp. He really wanted to get back home to his blonde. Hearing others talk about him and remembering the number of people watching him the previous night only made him feel more irritated. The desire to ravage Naruto before them to show them who the blonde belonged to felt painfully tempting but Kakashi knew he would never do that. The idea of anyone seeing the expression on Naruto's face when he was caught in heat of the moment was extremely unappealing.

He reached home earlier than usual and could smell the delicious aroma of Naruto's cooking. He waited until the blonde took a step away from the stove to pull the blonde into his arms. Kakashi buried his head at the junction of the blonde's shoulder and took a deep breath, memorizing the scent that was purely Naruto. He grinned at the 'yip' from the startled blonde and nipped his shoulder, unable to stop himself from tasting the skin there. The slight arch of Naruto's body pressed his ass to Kakashi's crotch, causing the copy nin to hiss.

"Hmm…Tadaima, Naru-chan," Kakashi's deep voice whispered. Naruto almost whimpered at the intimacy he could hear in Kakashi's voice.

"Okaerinasai, Kakashi. I…I ah, need to check on our dinner," he whispered back, his voice thick with tension. The grin he could feel from Kakashi's bare lips only served to heighten the pleasure he felt at being held so close.

Kakashi simply pushed him closer to the stove but he did not relinquish his hold. He was addicted to the blonde in his arms. Had their lives always been so entwined? No matter how many times the separated, they were brought together over and over again.

Naruto finished cooking in record time before switching off the stove. He turned to face his husband, whose head was still buried against his neck. Something was wrong, Naruto could feel it.

He slid his hands up and down Kakashi's back, glad that he had removed his flak jacket first. The man was still quite tense although he relaxed minutely. Instead of saying anything, Naruto maneuvered him to the hall and pressed Kakashi's body against the couch. Slowly, he slid his hands up Kakashi's arms until he touched the older man's face. He ran his hand over the silver hair soothingly, the words of his friends ringing in his ears.

The whole afternoon, Naruto had given quite a thought on his relationship with Kakashi. He realized an extremely important thing. No matter what, he always gravitated towards Kakashi. Over and over again, the silver haired nin had conquered his thoughts. The sheer terror he had felt when he realized that Kakashi was literally going to be sacrificing himself for the village had caused his heart to seize. He had not wanted to accept that. A life without Kakashi was a life he did not dare contemplate. When they had rescued him, Naruto had wondered if Kakashi was mad that he had come after the older man. However, seeing the smile on Kakashi's face after he returned the bells had almost made his heart jump out of his chest. He had reacted on instinct, relying on humor to defuse the feelings he had for the older man. Hearing the others point out the same thing only made him run.

The blonde had really hoped that he had only been silly and not actually fallen in love with the man. Unfortunately, fate had a cruel sense of humor. Just as he was convincing himself that he only imagined his feelings for Kakashi, they had gotten married. Naruto had been in quite a denial. He did not want to live with the man he loved, see him everyday and probably meet any lover he brought home. The thought of another sharing Kakashi's bed broke his heart but the blonde knew he could not be selfish.

Kakashi had of course, unknowingly, unburdened his heart. The man had promised fidelity, something Naruto had not expected. He had been so grateful to Kakashi just for that. Though Kakashi promising to help him out almost caused the blonde to throw himself at the older man. Living with Kakashi was definitely far different than he had expected. Kakashi, for one was useless in the kitchen. Anything more complex than boiling water seems to have completely deserted the older man. Kakashi, who was a wonder to watch on the field, could not cook in the kitchen to save his life. It always made Naruto laugh when he thought about his former sensei's cooking skills.

But it was all the little things that made him fall for the man even more. When Kakashi had started seducing him, he had truly frozen, wondering if Kakashi seriously wanted to pursue a relationship with him. It would have made him extremely happy, of course, but he did not want Kakashi to want him just because they were married and he needed a quick release.

He had approached Shikamaru as stealthily as possible and took his advice for a date. It had been far more amazing than even Naruto wanted to admit. They were really getting more comfortable with each other's silence. Still, it was the kiss that almost made Naruto lose his self control. He did not want to push his feelings to the older nin and so allowed Kakashi's to take the lead.

Watching Kakashi as he was, head bowed and body heavy with tension pained the blonde. So he simply rubbed the older man gently, hoping it would be enough.

On the other hand, Kakashi did not want to lift his head. The feel of Naruto's hands on him lit a flame inside him. The desire to crush the blonde against his body and take him was so strong that his own body trembled. His colleagues' words only made him more determined to capture the blonde in his arms. The idea of anyone laying a hand on Naruto made him feel particularly homicidal.

That thought stopped him short.

Dear gods! He had fallen in love with the blonde without realizing it at all!

At the feel of Naruto's hands on his face caused him to look up into those endless blue orbs. The worry in those eyes warmed his heart and he found himself smiling softly. His whole body relaxed when Naruto returned his smile, his eyes glowing with relief.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded into those hands and found himself catching them both. He kept his eyes on Naruto as he kissed the inside wrist of both hands. His sharp ears caught the low gasp and his eye watched as a faint glimmer of desire flashed in those gorgeous blue eyes.

They simply stood there, basking in each other's presence before Kakashi pushed away from the couch.

"I should take my shower. I won't be long."

Naruto smiled gently. "Take your time. I'll set the table."

Kakashi did not stop from kissing Naruto's fingers and grinned at the breathless hitch his husband gave. He winked at the blonde playfully, causing the younger man to look away with red cheeks. Knowing his urge to grab the blonde was too strong, Kakashi slipped away to his room.

He slammed his hands on to the bed. He needed to get a grip on himself. Naruto was so new to this and Kakashi did not want to scare the boy away. Kakashi could only laugh in disbelief at his situation. Of all people to fall in love with, he had never even contemplated the blonde. Now, he could not imagine a life without his blonde. The gods must be laughing at him.

XXX

"A date?" Naruto asked curiously, his chopsticks hung mid air before he brought his hands down and laid it against the plate. "Tonight?"

Kakashi nodded, hiding his nervousness expertly. "Yes, there is this place down south. It's a rather traditional place so yukatas would be preferable. Is this alright with you?"

Naruto studied Kakashi's profile for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I would like that a lot. We have been so busy these past few weeks that it would be nice to spend some time together outside as well."

Kakashi grinned at his response. "We'll leave around six then. Do you have something to wear?"

Naruto playfully raised an eyebow. "Oh? If I do not have one, what will you do?"

The copy nin rested his elbows on the table and placed his chin on his joint fingers. "Hmm, I would love to see you in one of my yukatas. However, I think it would be a little big on you, Naru-chan."

Naruto copied his actions and grinned. "Well, if it's so large, I do worry that it would…slip."

Eyes narrowing even more, Kakashi smiled sweetly, surprising his husband. "If it slips, perhaps I should just let you wear mine. After all, it would be so easy removing it later."

Naruto's face burned a deep red as he punched his husband's arm. "Hentai!"

Kakashi quickly caught the limb and tugged Naruto closer to the table. The blonde's eyes were adorably large.

"I'm only a hentai for you, love. You would look beautiful with the yukata slipping off your body."

Blushing furiously, Naruto pulled away from his husband and growled. The man had seriously been driving him crazy with innuendos for weeks. It always left him feeling hot and bothered. Listening to his deep voice itself was enough to light a fire in him. Naruto really hoped Kakashi did not realize the amount of power the older man yielded over him.

Kakashi watched as the blushing blonde left. He grinned wickedly as he replayed the breakfast scene. The blonde was really adorable. His actions and reactions were enough for Kakashi to know that his love was way too innocent in the matters of love and lust. He would definitely enjoy teaching Naruto everything. Kakashi really could not wait for that night.

Naruto frowned at his two yukatas. He was feeling particularly vengeful at that moment. Kakashi kept embarrassing him at every turn. No matter what he did, the older man looked completely unfazed. Naruto knew he lacked experience compared to the copy nin but this was embarrassing to the highest degree. He seemed to be spending most of the time blushing and hiding away from Kakashi. It was so unlike him that it was unacceptable.

He would make Kakashi swallow his tongue if it was the last thing he did. He did not know much about seduction but he did know how much of a pervert his husband was. With that thought in mind, Naruto chose to wear the dark blue yukata with silver borders and silver sash. It was a gorgeous yukata, made of the finest material and melded completely onto his body. While Naruto would usually pull both ends together so that not much of his chest could be seen, he decided to leave the front relaxed. The material teasingly gaped open giving flashes of tan skin. It was not wide enough to be indecent but it was wide enough to be distracting. The dark blue color of the yukata caused his eyes to stand out even more and contrasted beautifully with his hair and skin color. The silver of his yukata however was extremely significant. Naruto was showing that he belonged to Kakashi as the silver would immediately direct everyone's thoughts to Kakashi's hair. The material was also thin, providing relief from the heat. Naruto now had to wonder if he did not purchase the yukata with Kakashi in mind.

Naruto grinned as he tied his hitai-ate on his arm instead of his forehead and brushed his hair carefully. Since it was longer, it was far tamer than in his childhood. Since his hair was longer, he tied his bangs at the back. It gave him a tousled look that he realized suited him well. As a finishing touch, he kept his neck bare but applied the cologne Sakura had bought him. He applied enough to be distracting rather than overwhelming.

Pleased with his looks, he slipped into his geta and walked out of his room only to hear a light thud. Naruto turned and his own mouth simply dropped open at the sight of Kakashi standing still in the hall.

Kakashi looked fantastic. Naruto could definitely appreciate his physique in the yukata. Unlike his, it was tightly fixed and looked extremely elegant. The white yukata with red and blue designs suited his husband so well that Naruto could barely say anything.

The same could be said for Kakashi. The moment he laid his eyes on his husband, his whole body froze and his book fell with a thud. Naruto looked as though he just had a quick tumble in bed. The teasing glimpse of skin and the disheveled look caused quite a number of wirings to end up crisscrossed.

Had Naruto been aware of his surroundings, he would have patted himself on the back for making the child prodigy speechless. As it was the two men could not keep their eyes off each other.

Finally Kakashi collected himself and offered his husband his hand.

"Shall we, love?"

Naruto started at the endearment and flushed beautifully. He slipped his hand into Kakashi's and smiled at the warmth their hands produced together. They walked out slowly, enjoying the slightly cooler night. Kakashi found that Naruto was preoccupied by watching the people around them while Kakashi read his book. Neither moved to let their hands go.

In retrospect, they should have known that they would bump into one of their peers sooner or later. Thus to their eternal displeasure, they bumped into Genma, Anko, Kurenai and Raidou as they were passing the dango stall. The couple was forced to stop as they were ambushed by the shinobi.

Kakashi got very annoyed when he saw the leer on Genma and Anko's faces. They were practically stripping Naruto out of his yukata. Kakashi almost growled at the way their eyes roamed freely on Naruto's body and had to stop himself from reaching out and tugging the blonde firmly to his side.

"My my, Naru-chan, you look absolutely delicious. Why don't I educate you in the ways of women, hmm?" Anko teased as she slipped right beside Naruto and draped herself on his shoulders. However, before she could lick his cheek, Naruto expertly slipped out of her hold and stood on the other side of Kakashi. He waved cheerily at her and smiled.

"Gomen, Anko-san, but I have to decline any education in that direction, I'm afraid. Thank you for the offer though!"

Kakashi really wanted to snarl at the snake mistress but years of training helped him to control himself.

Genma on the other hand, leaned closer to Naruto and made the same offer, almost causing Kakashi to punch the man. Naruto also defused the situation before it got way out of hand. Kakashi could only shake his head at his friends' actions. Honestly, he knew they were trying to see if they could get a rise from him and he was not planning on giving them the satisfaction. So he maintained his bored look and kept his book before his face.

It was Naruto who got them away by pointing out their reservation and the two slipped away from Kakashi's friends. However they both knew that the news of their date would spread immediately.

At the dango stall, the four Konoha shinobi could only shake their heads in wry amusement.

"Can you believe that that was the same kid who wore bright orange jumpsuits and painted the Hokage monument?" Raidou asked with a grin.

"The brat's got really good genes. Kid actually grew up to be so damn hot! I would seriously love to have my way with him," Anko grinned and licked her lips.

Genma only nodded. "That yukata suits him very well. He looks temptingly innocent in that yukata. Makes me wonder just how much of experience he has."

Kurenai only shook her head. "Honestly, you guys, you should consider yourselves lucky that Kakashi did not retaliate. You know that the Hatake clan is notorious for their possessiveness."

"Meh, it would be good to make the idiot work for it a little. If no one challenges him, he would be way too content with his current skills. We are only doing Naruto a favor," Anko replied with a grin.

The groans of Kurenai and Raidou were like music to her ears.

Despite the heavy attention they received, Naruto and Kakashi reached the restaurant on time and enjoyed their date. Naruto had slowly stopped being so quiet and Kakashi truly appreciated hearing his husband's voice.

They had shunshin-ed back to their apartment the moment they saw members of Konoha 11. Neither desired a meeting with the younger shinobi. As it was dinner was hell on both of them. Kakashi and Naruto could not keep their eyes off each other. They spent more time exchanging innuendos and teasing the other until they were both hard.

Hence, the moment the door closed and locked decisively with a click behind Kakashi, both of them could feel the tension in the air. Kakashi's singular eye remained intently on Naruto's form while the younger man looked into the sharingan eye Kakashi showed when he removed the hitai-ate.

Gods above! The man was really beautiful and exotic.

Naruto bit his lips and his mind went back to the first kiss they shared after their first date. He craved to feel the amount of passion and need from Kakashi for him. However, he did not dare ask for such intimacy just yet. Naruto was unsure if he was ready to take their fledgling relationship another step forward. So…light kisses it was. Since Kakashi took the first step last time, Naruto wanted to show him that he was also sincerely wanted a relationship with Kakashi. Stepping closer to the copy nin, Naruto took the initiative first and leaned up to kiss the man. Their lips touched chastely and Naruto sighed contently into the kiss as he felt Kakashi's hands come up to rest on his hips. He pulled back after a moment and smiled into those mismatched eyes.

"Thank you for a wonderful date. Goodnight, Kashi."

The lips he just kissed curved into an amused smirk. "Maa, that can't be all, can it? Let me teach you how to kiss me goodnight."

Before Naruto could say a word, his lips were claimed in a deep kiss. His parted under the pressure from Kakashi and he could only moan helplessly as Kakashi's tongue slipped into his mouth to taste him. Naruto did not realize it when his hands slipped around Kakashi's strong shoulders to clutch at his hair. Despite how spiky they looked, the soft strands felt heavenly to Naruto's own smooth palms. His body arched against Kakashi's, pressing as close as they could. This was what he wanted. This feeling of desire, passion, love and safety. He kissed back and tasted Kakashi as well, his tongue teasingly trailing the flexible appendage in his mouth.

Kakashi growled at his husband's response. His kisses became more and more passionate, pulling moans and mewls from the younger man. They pulled back and came back together for more over and over again, getting painfully desperate. Kakashi did not even realize when his hands moved to loosen the sash around Naruto's waist. He simply pulled and tugged at the material until it fell to the floor. He wanted…no, needed to feel Naruto's bare skin against his. The fire simmering in him sparked and hissed warnings, heating up his blood and calling for him to mate with his husband.

In a smooth move, he pulled Naruto down to the couch and pushed him to lay on it. The blonde looked up at his husband with dark eyes, pleasure clouding his mind. His yukata gaped open and the only piece of clothing covering him at all was his boxers. The sharingan automatically memorized the sight of the blonde who laid spread on the couch.

Kakashi immediately gripped the sunshine locks and tugged Naruto up to another soul searing kiss. He tasted so sweet that Kakashi just could not get enough of the man. His other hand caressed the skin so blatantly offered to him. When he pinched one dark pebble, Naruto tore his lips away from him and cried out in pleasure.

He slipped between the blonde's thighs and nudged the long limbs to either side of his body. Naruto slipped his legs around Kakashi's body to lock at his back at tugged the copy nin against him. The feel of Kakashi's yukata against his sensitized skin felt absolutely heavenly.

Kakashi pressed closer as he started to kiss and lick Naruto's neck and shoulders. He licked, nipped and sucked, pulling delicious moans and sighs from the blonde. Kakashi's worked himself down and latched onto the nipple he had been abusing.

Naruto's eyes widened at the pleasure and he threw his head back as his body arched up to offer his husband more. Kakashi's name became a mantra to him as his hands tugged his hair and caressed Kakashi's back.

Kakashi was amazed at how responsive Naruto was. Simply pinching and licking his nipples left the man incoherent. He rose a little to take in the sight of his blonde lover and could not help but fall for him more. This gorgeous creature laying so trustingly in his arms was a gift Kakashi had never expected to receive but he was so grateful for the chance to have the man to love.

"Look at me, Naruto."

Unable to deny that commanding voice, Naruto opened his darkened gaze to look at the man above him. He whimpered as he felt the rough pads of Kakashi's fingers pinching and pulling at his abused nubs.

"Kashi," he whispered desperately, the pleasure overwhelming his body.

"Shh….Let me take care of you," Kakashi whispered huskily as he leaned forward and pulled Naruto into a deep passionate kiss. Naruto responded by tightening his bare legs around Kakashi's waist and pulling his husband as close as he could get. The growl he heard from Kakashi made him grin against those sinful lips causing his husband to retaliate by pressing his harden cock down against Naruto's.

Naruto mewled and threw his head back causing Kakashi to chuckle darkly against his neck.

"Kakashi-senp..Woah!"

The couple instantly broke apart and Kakashi's instantly applied a genjutsu to cover his face at the sound from their window. Naruto's eyes widened impossibly at the sight of Yamato-taichou staring at the couple while Kakashi growled warningly. Before Naruto could blink, Kakashi had already pulled away and covered his exposed body with his yukata.

Satisfied that the blonde was covered, Kakashi pulled him against his body, using Naruto to hide his hard on and also to hide Naruto's flushed face from Yamato. Naruto buried his head against Kakashi's shoulder, his face and neck traitorously red.

"What the hell do you want, Tenzo?" the copy nin growled and his glare only deepened when he realized Yamato was watching Naruto. The ANBU nin 's face flushed in embarrassment and he forced himself not to react to Kakashi's obvious anger.

"Ah, sorry senpai but Tsunade-sama requested your attendance immediately at the tower."

"Fine. I'll be there."

Yamato nodded before giving his senpai a cheeky grin and a salute. He immediately shunshin-ed out of there before Kakashi could come after him, laughing all the while. The others would definitely love to hear about this!

Kakashi sighed in irritation and leaned back against the couch. He kept his hands on Naruto's hips to ensure the blonde did not pull away. His gaze fell on the bowed head and he nudged the younger man.

"You alright, Naru?"

Naruto nodded before raising his face to see Kakashi. The instant their gazes locked, the blonde's face burned a deep red and he pointedly looked away causing Kakashi to laugh at his husband's embarrassment.

"Well…That did not end as I expected," the silver haired nin groaned. His fingers made circular patterns on Naruto's skin but otherwise he did not do anything else.

Naruto knew better than to move away. Kakashi's hands on his hips were there for a reason after all. So he relaxed in Kakashi's arms and smiled softly.

"Well…we don't have to rush. We are still new at this, anyways."

"Are you worried?" Kakashi prodded softly when he heard the anxiety in Naruto's voice.

Naruto shrugged but a quiet "Naruto" from Kakashi caused him to look up at the silver haired nin and nodded slightly.

"I've never…I just…Sorry, Kashi," the blonde apologized, ashamed of being anxious over something he felt no one else worried about.

Kakashi stroked his hair and smiled. "There is nothing to be sorry about. I like the idea of teaching you, knowing you are learning to please me and learning to please you excites me, Naru."

Naruto flushed but said nothing as he relaxed against the copy-nin.

"You know…if you make it Tsunade-baachan's place early, you'll get your mission early and finish it early as well. Then…maybe, you know… you could…be my sensei again, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto whispered into Kakashi's ear despite feeling extremely embarrassed.

Kakashi tensed beneath him before pulling Naruto to see his facial expression. At the red cheeks and warm blue eyes, he grinned wickedly.

"Well, I better not keep our Godaime waiting, ne?"

As Naruto watched Kakashi rushing about to get dressed, he wondered if he could use this as an incentive to ensure Kakashi would be on time.

The silver haired nin walked out of his room dressed in his ANBU uniform. He stole a deep kiss from his husband and winked playfully at him.

"I'll be looking forward to my welcoming home gift, Naru-chan!"

Naruto blushed but grinned at his husband. "Just make sure you make it home safely. I'll be waiting."

The gleam in the single eye should have terrified Naruto but it only served to excite him more as he watched Kakashi disappear into the night.

With a wry grin, he slipped into his room to clean up for the night.

XXX

Naruto had not actually thought he would miss Kakashi so much. Ever since their impromptu marriage, they had spent quite a bit of time together. No matter how busy they were, they always had dinner together. Ever since they started dating, they even had breakfast together before going to work.

The house seemed painfully quiet without Kakashi around. Naruto was so used to the feel of Kakashi's chakra around him and the sound of the older man's soft breathing. He could barely sleep at night because he missed the copy-nin deeply.

Day times were not so bad. He spent as much time as possible with his friends before he was forced to return home. He had even caught up with Iruka and the duo had quite a conversation with Naruto assuring Iruka that Kakashi did not mistreat him at all. It took Iruka a few days but he finally came around and told Naruto to tell Kakashi to meet him.

Naruto just hoped that Kakashi would survive the meeting.

It had been two weeks since Kakashi had left. The north side of the village, which Naruto had been helping with Konohamaru Corps had finally completed constructions. There were no more missions for the moment and Naruto found himself disappointingly free. He had convincingly smiled and waved goodbye to everyone as he went back home but could not stop the frown on his face at the silent darkness.

Naruto sighed sadly. He knew that either one of them would always be called away for missions. It was inevitable. However, he had hoped that it would not be for a while yet. Now he was left missing his husband desperately.

The blonde haired nin finally gave up and slipped into Kakashi's room after a good long hot shower. He was in desperate need for sleep and his bed seemed more uncomfortable by the day. He slipped on one of Kakashi's used dark long sleeve shirt, which was on Kakashi's bed and slipped into his bed. Kakashi's scent instantly enveloped him, welcoming him into its hold. Naruto sighed contently and curled on the bed, tucking the blanket around him. In seconds, he was lost to world.

Kakashi slipped into his home quietly, suppressing his chakra expertly. He did not want to wake Naruto at all. He was extremely exhausted but had enough sense to clean up at ANBU headquarters before heading home. He peaked into Naruto's room, hoping to catch a glimpse of his husband and frowned at the empty bed. There was no sign of Naruto anywhere in the hall or kitchen either. Perhaps the blonde had decided to spend the night at Iruka's or one of his friends. Kakashi did not want to entertain the idea that Naruto had found someone else to warm his sheets.

Disappointed, Kakashi walked into his room and stopped, stunned.

There curled peacefully in his bed was his missing husband. Kakashi took in the childlike figure who, now that he noticed it, was wearing one of his old shirts and pressing his face onto the pillow Kakashi usually used.

A feral grin was his behind his mask.

Kakashi knew that this meant his husband was quite ready to take their relationship to another level and he was glad for it. It was only so long he could suppress his wilder desires from his husband. Instinct roared for him to mate with this man whom he had promised his name, protection and love. Instinct demanded he fulfill his promises and show to others this man belonged to him.

Not now though.

Now he was tired and his love was asleep. Tomorrow was soon enough.

With that thought, he slipped into bed, tugging the blankets lightly and threw one end over him. He was pleased to note that Naruto had only worn his shirt and nothing else, causing Kakashi's cock to twitch but he refused to give in to his desires. Instead, he pulled Naruto closer to him and smirked when the blonde willingly snuggled in his arms, clenching his fists around Kakashi's arm and shirt. Kakashi maneuvered them into a more comfortable position and fell asleep with Naruto's scent filling his senses.

It was extremely comfortable, Naruto thought with a smile as he woke up from sleep. His mind was still hazy and he wished for a few more minutes, so he tugged his head at the junction of Kakashi's shoulder, inhaled his scent and prepared to sleep.

Naruto's eyes flew open in alarm at that thought and he pulled back quickly.

He would have pulled away from Kakashi's arms had the copy-nin not tightened his arms around his husband, knowing the younger man would panic in the light of day.

"Morning, Naru-chan!" Kakashi greeted with a knowing smirk, causing the younger man to flush adorably.

"Kakashi! You're back! When did you get back?" Naruto asked once his mind finally made the connection with the older nin's presence. He did not even realize he was straddling Kakashi at that moment, something the older nin did not desire to let him know especially since it provided him with the tantalizing view of Naruto's long slim legs at either side of his body and the feel of his pert ass on Kakashi's own hardened member. It took a lot of effort and discipline on Kakashi's part to not thrust or rub against the blonde.

"Last night. I saw you sleeping so soundly in my bed and decided I should take the invitation you issued so….welcomingly," Kakashi leered as his eyes deliberately roamed Naruto's figure.

The blonde caught his look and blushed a darker shade of red. He tried to move but Kakashi hindered his movements effectively. It was then he felt Kakashi's covered cock rubbing against his bare ass and he almost whimpered at the sensations. He knew his own cock was hardening and was embarrassed of Kakashi seeing him like this.

"Let go, Kakashi. I need to use the bathroom," Naruto grumbled as he tugged on his arms.

The young man might be strong in the field but only when he reinforces his body with chakra or use destructive ninjutsu. In terms of raw strength, Kakashi actually had him beat. It was something that always made the man pout in annoyance.

Kakashi pulled the blonde closer and experimentally thrust against him, causing the blonde to gasp in surprise. Wide sky blue eyes met Kakashi's mismatched ones and the blonde stilled. There was something between them, Naruto realized. Something hot and tense was brewing between them and Naruto just knew that Kakashi was done waiting.

But now was not the time. They just woke up and Naruto knew Kakashi had just returned from his mission. He would need more rest and nourishment. Instead of fighting his husband for something even he wanted, he leaned against the silver-haired man and kissed him soundly. Their kiss was easy and reassuring and Kakashi smiled into it.

"Naruto?"

"Good morning, Kashi. Shall we have breakfast first?"

Kakashi frowned. He wondered for a brief moment, if Naruto was still uncertain of them.

"Naru?"

'Silly man,' the blonde thought fondly as he leaned and nipped at Kakashi's bottom lip playfully.

"You must be hungry. I doubt mission food was amazing. Let's clean up and have breakfast first and get everything that needs to be done away first. We have the whole night. I'm yours, Kashi."

The older man growled and pulled his mate forcefully towards him for another deep kiss, teeth clashing and tongues battling for dominance. Naruto finally gave in and stopped fighting his husband, earning an approving groan.

"Mine," Kakashi purred dangerously, his eyes flashing as he watched his mate.

Naruto smiled sweetly and nodded. "For as long as you are mine, I am yours."

This time Kakashi smiled.

They rose and got ready. Naruto used the facilities first before slipping into the kitchen to prepare a good breakfast. Kakashi took his time getting cleaned up and sighed in amusement when he heard his stomach growl. Apparently his stomach agreed with Naruto. His own morning wood had calmed down as his tired body begged for rest so he was pleased with Naruto's plan. Still, the blonde had him shaking his head.

He had expected Naruto to fight or blush and stammer or deny wanting him. He was ready to seduce and coerce the blonde into sleeping with him. However, Naruto had shown his true colors as Konoha's Number One Knuckleheaded Ninja. He had put those plans on hold when he easily submitted to Kakashi and agreed to sleep with him. Kakashi could also see from the sincerity and desire in Naruto's gorgeous blue eyes that the blonde meant it too. He wanted Kakashi as much as Kakashi wanted him.

The thought made the copy-nin feel ridiculously giddy.

It was also worth all the teasing he had been getting. His teammates had all seen Naruto and him on dates and Tenzo had found it amusing to share his little show to the others as well. It was annoying though to hear other members or jounins speak of Naruto like he was some kind of possession or sex toy. They kept commenting on his body and his ass and how it would be wonderful to see him on his knees servicing them. Some of them had been so crude in their remarks that even Tenzo had regretted sharing his little tidbit in public. He had finally blown up on them and they had apologized when his killing intent almost choked them. Kakashi was ANBU after all. He was one of the best and he was the master of silent assassinations. His anger and fury reminded others of exactly who he was and caused them to apologize on bended knees.

He helped set the table and together, the couple had their breakfast, silently feeling glad that the other one was there with them. The emptiness they had both been feeling had been washed away and Naruto felt comfortable for the first time in two weeks.

Kakashi found himself extremely tired after breakfast and was fast asleep on the couch. Naruto worked around him, cleaning the house and taking care of his own private work. He had kept his work a secret but with Kakashi sleeping so peacefully, he thought he could chance a visit to the village proper. He had a package to mail.

The visit took a couple of hours. He met some of his friends and they chatted for a bit until he excused himself and went home. Kakashi was still sleeping so Naruto started reading some scrolls on fuuinjutsu. They belonged to Jiraiya and his father and Naruto was learning quite a bit from the scroll.

Kakashi had only woken up close to dinner time and Naruto was happy to serve his favorite dishes along with a dessert which was not too sweet. The tension between the couple had rose to unbearable heights but still they ate dinner with strained smiles and kept their hands and legs to themselves.

Naruto's heart was already beating frantically when he cleared the table. He had put away the final plate when he felt Kakashi's arms slip around his body and hold him tightly.

"Please don't ask me to wait anymore." _I love you. Give me a chance to show you how much I adore you. _

The blonde leaned back against his husband and sighed, content. He knew Kakashi would take good care of him. So he closed his eyes and smiled. Confidently, he looked into Kakashi's eyes and let his feelings show in them. The trust, the love, the promise.

"I'm yours. Please take care of me, sensei." _I love you. I trust you. I submit to you._

Kakashi's eyes widened at Naruto's words. Did the blonde wish to kill him? As it was, Kakashi could barely hold the beast inside of him from jumping the younger man and taking him as he wished.

He kissed and nipped his husband neck. Naruto simply tilted his head and enjoyed the feel of Kakashi at his back. His neck was so sensitive that every kiss and every nip caused him to sigh in pleasure. Kakashi kept his mouth glued to Naruto's neck as they made their way back to Kakashi's room. The moment they reached there, Kakashi threw Naruto onto the bed and locked his door behind him.

The silence in the room was stifling. Both men could hear each other's pants and kept their eyes on the other. Kakashi undressed slowly. He refused to rush as he did not want to scare his little fox. Besides, he was rather smug at the desire that was shimmering in Naruto's eyes as the blonde took in his body.

Kakashi knew he looked good. Despite his lazy slouch, he had always kept up with training especially since he had Naruto assigned to his team. The blonde got into so much of trouble that the silver haired nin knew he had to stay at top shape just to keep up with him. Hence, it was truly an ego booster to see Naruto transfixed on his appearance.

Naruto could not believe his eyes. He had always known that Kakashi was a good looking man. He had seen Kakashi in various clothes these past few months. He had even seen Kakashi mostly naked before but never had he felt like this. The older man exuded strength and power. Naruto's eyes took in Kakashi's hard and thick length. Unconsciously, he licked his lips, wondering how it would taste.

Kakashi caught sight of the pink tongue swiping his mate's bottom lip and groaned. The blonde was really trying to kill him. He stalked over to the bed and towered over his mate, watching with satisfaction as the blonde blushed but did not shy away.

He lowered his head and kissed his mate. The kisses were quick and chaste, barely tasting the male. Naruto mewled and sighed, wanting more and finally simply grabbed the back of Kakashi's head and tugged him closer before deepening the kiss. The silver haired nin laughed into the kiss but obliged and gave the younger man what he wanted.

They kissed, deep drugging kisses and they touched, frantic hands feeling exposed skin. Naruto found himself naked within seconds as Kakashi's hands got more demanding but he did not care. The feel of those calloused hands touching his smooth body sent shivers down his body. Kakashi too shivered as Naruto's smooth and soft hands touched his bare chest and tentatively felt his nipples.

"Shh…baby, touch me more. You can touch me, Naru-chan. I like the feel of your hands on me," Kakashi encouraged his lover when he felt the hesitant touches.

Naruto blushed deeper, the flush spreading down his neck. "I like touching you too," he admitted as he pinched Kakashi's nipples lightly.

The silver haired nin hissed in delight and pressed his raging hard on against his lover and bit down on his shoulder, causing the younger man to cry out in pain and pleasure. He slowly explored his lover's body, tasting his skin, his nipples and his stomach. Naruto had found purchase in Kakashi's hair as the nin went down on him and in a smooth move, swallowed his cock.

Naruto screamed at the sudden heat enveloping his cock and surged up. Kakashi kept a firm grip on his blonde's hips, preventing the blonde from choking him. He licked and sucked pulling delicious sounds from Naruto's lips. The blonde writhed against the sheets, screaming and moaning in succession as Kakashi toyed with his balls while he speared the slit of his cock. The blonde came right then, the intense pleasure clouding his mind and he did not even have the chance to warn Kakashi as he came hard down his husband's throat, crying out Kakashi's name.

Kakashi did not mind as he found Naruto's taste to be exquisite. The blonde was barely bitter. He tasted sweeter with only a hint of bitterness and Kakashi grinned at the first taste of his love. He cleaned the blonde up by sucking his sensitive cock, causing Naruto to whimper at the feel of the warmth against his sensitive skin.

Naruto breathed harshly, trying hard to control himself as Kakashi turned him on his stomach. The feel of the bedsheet against his heated skin and the feel of Kakashi mouth against his back made him moan wantonly. He had no idea what Kakashi was doing so when he was pulled up to his knees with his chest and shoulders pressed against the bed and his ass tilted higher, he flushed and made to protest, only to have Kakashi soothing him with soft whispers.

Kakashi was definitely in heaven. Naruto did not fight him much. The blonde allowed the older man to manipulate his body whichever way he wanted and it turned Kakashi on more than he realized. This show of submissiveness appealed to Kakashi's more dominant side. The silver haired nin worked harder to please his mate. He tasted him in his most private places. He marked his skin at every opportunity. He teased and licked and nipped and abused every part of his mate's body, thanking the gods for making Naruto so beautifully sensitive.

By the time he finally prepared and entered Naruto, the younger man had been reduced to tears and his nerves were shot to hell. He had came three times, successively and his cock, despite being sensitive, was already stimulated to hardness once more. When Kakashi had entered him so carefully, he whimpered at the intrusion, hardly having any more energy to cry out. Or so he thought.

When Kakashi slammed against his prostate, the younger man howled at the indescribably pleasure he felt. He barely noticed his moaning, groaning or pleading. He begged Kakashi over and over again but he did not notice it at all. His sensors were attuned to the feel of Kakashi's cock sliding in and out of his ass in a brutal pace and the feel of Kakashi's fingers on his chest, pinching and pulling his nipples. The poor abused nubs were red with all the attention and so painfully sensitive. Naruto sobbed and writhed on the bed, unknowingly arousing his husband.

"Mine," Kakashi growled as he slammed into Naruto. "Say it to me, Naruto. Say it!"

Naruto cried out as he pressed his head back and arched into Kakashi's thrust. "Kashi!"

"Say it! Say it or I will not let you come. Say you are mine."

Naruto was already beyond speech or thought. However, despite the haze, he could recognize the urgency in Kakashi's voice. The silver haired nin needed this. And Naruto knew he needed to give it.

"Yours!" he howled at a brutal thrust, tears sliding down his cheeks. His pleasure was so intense that Naruto felt like he was burning inside out. "Yours! Kakashi! Please! I can't...I can't...please, Kashi!"

The sight of his lover spread so wantonly, skin slick with sweat and tears caused Kakashi to lose whatever was left of his already thin control. His hand slipped around his lover and slid over Naruto's weeping cock. The combination of the pleasure from his ass and cock caused Naruto to go over one more time and this time, Kakashi fell with him as Naruto chanel got even tighter with his orgasm.

They lay together, breathing harsh in the silent room. Kakashi forced himself to move away from Naruto and to his side. With his remaining strength, he pulled Naruto closer and kissed the blonde's hair lovingly.

"Alright?" he finally asked once he caught his breath. His whole body was so sated, Kakashi did not feel like moving at the least. However, he wanted to ensure that Naruto was fine. He had been unexpectedly rough with the blonde, after all.

Naruto hissed as his abused nubs rubbed against the sheet and turned so that he was on his back. He looked up to his husband and saw thinly veiled concern in those mismatched eyes.

"I'm fine, Kashi. Just sore and tired."

Kakashi nodded and slipped an arm around Naruto's waist. He too was feeling painfully tired.

"Sleep?" he whispered as he kissed his lover chastely on the lips.

Naruto nodded with a smile.

"Sleep."

Nothing more was said as they slipped into slumber, bodies wonderfully sated.

XXX

"Well?" Tsunade asked the two men before her.

Shikaku and Inoichi looked at each other and shrugged. "We know they have been dating. We know Tenzo caught them once. We also know they are getting closer. However, we do not know if they have done the deed. We can't exactly stalk them, Hokage-same. That is too troublesome."

Inoichi nodded. "Besides, isn't this good news? They are getting closer. It would only be a matter of time before they give in and sleep together. I say we leave them to figure things out."

Tsunade frowned. "Fine. We'll leave it as it is. Damn it! I wanted to tease the brat with this knowledge but not knowing if they got together or not is a pain. And they don't even have the courtesy to thank me for getting them together!"

The two clan heads sighed at the leader's grumblings.

XXX

He was pleasantly surprised with Jiraiya's latest book. Icha Icha Nights was about a couple who stole nights together and got into all sorts of mishap as they tried to have sex without getting caught. It was a good read with lots of sex, a dose of seriousness and a spoonful of humor. It was funny and interesting.

It was also not Jiraiya's style.

Kakashi was a reader of Jiraiya's books for years. He knew Jiraiya's writing style. Jiraiya always had orgy scenes and public sex and very little plot. However, the latest book was more on two people only having sex and their unfortunate luck. Whoever the author who took Jiraiya's name was, the author was good. Now, even women could be seen reading the latest Icha Icha book.

He wondered if Naruto would know the author.

The silver haired nin was rereading his latest book when he heard his front door being knocked. He opened to find a postman ninja standing there with a parcel for Naruto. He accepted the parcel and closed the door, wondering who had sent him one.

The postmark looked faintly familiar and it hit Kakashi that that was the name of Jiraiya's publisher. Curiousity caused him to carefully opened the parcel and he took the first official letter he saw.

_Uzumaki-san,_

_The sales for the latest book 'Icha Icha Nights' has far surpassed all other Icha Icha sales. We would like you to continue writing on behalf of Jiraiya-sama. We hope to receive a new manuscript soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Kano Hyugeki_

The letter slipped and fell to the floor as the copy nin stared in disbelief. He heard the door open and could barely register the footsteps coming closer.

"Kakashi?"

The concern voice of his husband caused him to look up in shock. Naruto wondered if something had happened when Kakashi fainted.

Cursing, Naruto caught the man before he hit the ground and looked at the letter Kakashi had held curiously.

He started laughing as he realized what had shocked the copy nin.

'Seriously,' he thought, shaking his head in amusement. 'Only he would faint when he found me to be writing his favorite book. The silly idiot!'

XXX

**Author's Note:**

**OMG! I can't believe I actually wrote this. I hope you guys enjoyed this. This is my first KakaNaru pairing and seriously, some feeback would be awesome. If you guys would like to point out how I can do better, I'll appreciate it.**

**Thanks for reading and good day!**


End file.
